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MONTANA
STATE UNIVERSITY
BILLINGS
Access & Excellence etairet The Voice of Montana State University Billings
2008 - 2009
Outstanding Literary
Student Organization Award
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2009 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2
very enjoyable to children, couples,
groups and individuals.
Most danced 'til they
dropped, including a couple who
made a very good attempt at
jitterbugging, a man doing the
classic "white boy dance," a mother
dancing with her two small children
and the head bangers in the
pseudo-mosh pit, which was safely
contained and out of the way.
The Beach Pickers, a local
band, played what can only be
described as good of down home
music. Following the bands a eulogy
we have the right to claim money
from them... in the past they have
caused harm to the population
[and] the goal is to seek money for
the problems we have had."
Under the umbrella of
the Tobacco Damages and Health
Care Costs Recovery Act passed by
Canada's Supreme Court in 2008,
British Colombia was allowed to
sue major tobacco corporations
for the financial strain side effects
of smoking has placed on Canada's
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
The BillingsTunie Awards are
this town's version of The Grammy's
for local artists. Yellowstone Valley
Brewing Company, located at 2123
1st Avenue North, hosted the event
lasting from 4pm to 10pm and
charged a two dollar admission fee.
The fenced-off area featured a gate
watcher, ample seating and tables,
two very clean porta-potties and an
area for dancing in front of the flat
bed trailer that had been converted
into a stage. Parking was available
on the street or a neighboring
lot. Yellowstone Valley Brewing
Company provided root beer
and water while the MSU Billings
branch of Chi Alpha Theta supplied
burgers and brats.
The timing as well as the
enclosed location rendered this
event both child- and pet-friendly;
and both kids and dogs took
advantage of the opportunity to
run and play. As a whole, the event
had the feeling of a barbeque at an
extended family reunion and was
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
According to the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation (CBC),
the city of Ottawa is moving closer
to filing a 30-50 billion dollar
lawsuit against 14 major tobacco
corporations, namely Imperial
Tobacco, Canada's largest tobacco
manufacturer and distributor.
Quebec Health Minister Yves
Bolduc says of the lawsuit: "I think
was sung for Jim Freego, a local
musician who recently passed away.
The presentation of the awards
went smoothly and without any
hang-ups - no problems resembling
the Kanye West incident at this
year's MTV Video Music Awards.
Best Drummer went to Marco
Castro; Best Metal Band went to
End Ever; Best Percussionist went
to Matt Devett; Best Live Venue for
All Ages went to Yellowstone Valley
Brewing Company; Best Live Venue
for 21 and Over went to the F.O.E.
(Fraternal Order of Eagles, located
at 526 Laurie Lane in the Billings
heights); Best Instrument Store
went to Hansen Music (located
at 1819 Grand Avenue); and Best
CD Store went to Ernie November
(located at 919 Grand Avenue).
After the awards
presentation End Ever retook the
stage for the rest of the evening.
See Tunies on page 7
general health care system.
Currently motions to bring the case
to trial are underway, and if BC finds
legal success, it is not unreasonable
to imagine other Canadian
provinces will follow shortly. A
spokesman for Imperial Tobacco
calls the lawsuit "hypocritical",
since the Canadian government
does not attempt to regulate other
industries that may be harmful to
private citizens, such as alcohol and
gambling.
A Night at the Tunies
Some of the local bands playing at the Tunies. (Photos by Matt Langman)
Canada Versus Big Tobacco
Visit us online at msubretort.org
P-1
1500 University Drive SUB ASIvISUB
Billings, MT 59101
Editorial: 406-425-1807or 617-990-7209
Advertising: 406-425-1807
Fax: 406-652-2981
E-mail: msubretort@gmail.com
msubretort.org
RETORT STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Steven Pittenger
Business Manager Bailey Martin
Faculty Adviser VACANT
Layout Editor Heidi Leritz
Ads Manager Bailey Martin
Copy Editor Jennifer Otis
Web Editor Matt Squires
News Editor Mike Schrage
A&E Editor Lou Donaldson
Sports Editor Rob Barnosky
Creativity Editor Kyla Monett
Opinion Editor Jen Gross
Photographer Matt Langman
Cartoonist VACANT
Columnist Candi La Fleur
GUIDELINES & POLICIES
The Retort encourages the submission of Letters
To The Editor. Letters must be under 250 words in length
and include a name, signature, and phone number. The
Retort reserves the right to edit for space and possible
libel. Letters should deal with subject matter relevant to
the students, faculty, and staff of MSU Billings. The Retort
is published monthly. Letters must be submitted by the
Friday after the most recent issue date.
The Retort is made possible in part by student fees
allocated by ASMSUB.
The Publications Board of ASMSUB advises The
Retort, leaving content decisions to the editors. Opinions
expressed in The Retort are not necessarily those of its
members, the university, students, not student, state, or
federal governments.
Retort The Voice of Montana State University Billings
For those of you who were anx-iously
awaiting the next issue of
The Retort (all two of you), you
may have noticed that this issue
was a little late hitting the stands,
which marks a first for us here at
The Retort. The reasons are unim-portant,
but let me just say to ev-eryone
that I'm truly sorry. Usually
at this point I would take the time
to tell you about what's going on at
the paper, but for my editorial this
time I felt it was important to talk
about what isn't going on. I look
around this campus, and I see so
much potential and possibility and
I've often wondered why we aren't
unleashing it. The Retort has some
great writers and staff but I have to
be honest, I can't for the life of me
figure out why more people aren't
getting involved. Sure we may not
be the biggest coolest paper out
there, but we provide a voice and
forum for students to express ideas
and views and in my opinion that
alone should send people flock-ing
to their keyboards to sound-off
about something they're passion-ate
about. Now, I know this is a sys-temic
problem, that is, not unique
to The Retort. I think we need more
people challenging the apathy and
indifference here on this campus.
We have too many people making
too many lame excuses about why
they can't get involved and we just
accept it. I'm not asking for much,
heck I'm not even asking for just
The Retort, but you won't convince
me there is someone out there who
can't give an hour a week of their
time. It may not seem like much but
if everyone on this campus (faculty
and staff included) gave one hour
each week of their time to a proj-ect,
organization or cause we could
accomplish over 5000 hours worth
of work EACH WEEK! I'm tired of
people using children, school work,
or being tired in general as an ex-cuse.
Yes family and school are
important, and you certainly have
to make sure you take care of your-self
because it's unlikely someone
else will do that for you, but ONE
hour a week is very reasonable.
It may mean you have to shut off
the TV, or log out of WOW, or put
away the porn and/or beer, but is
that really so much to ask for? So
MSUB, I'm calling you out. I'm tell-ing
you collectively to get off your
back-side, find something you care
about and do it! To those of you
who are already involved and thos-/ —\
veterans, who have been for some
time, please allow me to extend
my deep thanks and appreciation
for the selfless work you do. Too
often you don't get the credit yo'
deserve and it can seem like no one
cares. I'm here to tell you however
that people do care, and people do
notice, and that the work you do
is invaluable. More directly how
ever, I'm asking people to write to
The Retort about things that your
passionate about, things that piss
you off, things you think should be
given props or just anything at all.
We as a newspaper really, honestb;,
and truly, want to hear from YOU.
Also, just for the record The Retort
as an organization is open to criti-cism
as well. If you think we are
doing something wrong, or if you-have
an opinion about an article,
let us know. Don't think we won't
publish something just because it's
critical of us. So where does that
leave us? Well hopefully, one or
two of you will read this and light
a fire (figuratively, NOT literally)
under yourselves or some friends.
Hopefully those friends will in turn
do the same, and hopefully we can
create a culture of service and pas
sion on our campus that gets peo-ple
motivated, and inspires them
to stay that way on a regular basis.
Until next time, take care of your-selves
and each other, and let your
passions soar.
Steven Pittenger
Editor-In-Chief
LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR
2
Dorothea Cromley, left, professor of music at Montana State University Billings, has been working with Jason Suchan
since he arrived at the university as a freshman out of Billings West High School in 2005. On October 10, Suchan will be
the featured piano soloist at the "Bright Lights & Rising Stars" concert presented by the Billings Symphony Orchestra.
(Photo by MSU Billings News Services)
NEWS & CAMPUS LIFE
American Police Force Done
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
The Montana Attorney
General has elected to cease its
investigation into the operations
of the suspicious American Police
Force, an entity created presumably
to cash in on the still-vacant Hardin
Jail. Michael Hilton, the mysterious
head of the APF, has a lengthy
criminal background of convictions
of "fraud, larceny, breach of
contract and false pretenses."
according to the Billings Gazette.
Hilton,originallyhailingfrom
the Slavic country of Montenegro,
boasted of extensive government
contracting experience and brought
promises of economic stimulus for
the city of Hardin. Hardin had built
the 27-million-dollar detention
facility in hopes it would stimulate
the desolate economy. After an APF
name change, Mercedes SUVs, and
a retooling of their website, APF
withdrew their request to operate
the prison earlier this month after
several individuals supposedly
inside APF's inner circle distanced
themselves from the project.
The fallout has caused
chaos within the administrative
board of the project, leading to
resignation of Two Rivers Authority
director shortly after the extent of
the questionable nature of Hilton
and APF became apparent.
Striking the Right Chords: Committed to
Following his Passion
• By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
Jason Suchan's first
encounter with a piano was one of
-hose moments that seem destined
for a Hollywood screenplay: The
precocious youngster with a gift
for music... a resurrected player
piano... the subsequent ignition of
is passion.
Yet the Montana State University
Billings senior's story is far from
over. His true-life story is still
unfolding and the next stanza
features the Billings Symphony
rchestra.
Suchan appeared as the
guest soloist with the BSO for the
Saturday, October 10th "Bright
Lights & Rising Stars" concert at
1Iberta Bair Theater. Concert time
is 7:30 pm.
This will be Suchan's first
appearance with the orchestra as
a featured soloist, but the story
arc follows what has turned into a
• continued passion for music and
the arts.
According to Suchan, it all
started with an old player piano
that his father had purchased.
• cle was about four years old
and the old upright piano was
sitting in the basement of the
family home. One afternoon, as
he ventured downstairs to check
' Things out, a dust-speckled beam
of sunlight beckoned him toward
the instrument for a . loser look. He
liked the feel of it, and the sounds
that came from it.
• He was hooked.
Soon he was taking piano
lessons from his grandmother and
getting involved in band in school.
He became accomplished on the
trumpet and trombone. He was an
• accomplished performer through
high school and when he graduated
from Billings West High School in
2005, he set his sights on studying
with Dorothea Cromley at MSU
Billings.
"I've always been interested
in the piano," said Suchan, whose
soft-spoken nature and easy smile
belie the fiery passion that comes
out in his performances. "But I
really got serious about the piano
when I got here."
These days, he's seriously
committed to his October 10th
performance. He'll play Liszt's
"Piano Concerto No. 1," which
has its share of flash, fervor and
delicate interludes.
"I'm real excited to work
with Anne (BSO director Anne
Harrigan)," Suchan said. "I want the
performance to be really good."
Cromley, who has worked with
some of the most talented young
pianists in Montana over her
career, said she has appreciated
Suchan's commitment to following
his passion, especially in a state
that has so few male role models as
budding artists.
He's had his share of
"normal" college challenges over
his career. Both laugh at the first
time he neglected to attend a music
theory class. Late hours working to
load planes at the airport and extra
sleep caused the misstep, but that
was the last time.
"Young men in the arts
are so rare here," said Cromley.
"Finding someone like Jason who is
so normal and who loves the arts is
amazing."
Just as important, Cromley
said, is the message Jason's success
poses for music education in public
schools.
"I just want to show our
public schools 'Look what you did
with Jason!' It's phenomenal," she
said.
A piano performance
major who will graduate in May
2010 and has his sights set on
graduate education, Suchan said
he encourages young musicians
to persevere in their studies.
Frustrations are normal, he said,
but in the end, the pursuit of your
passion pays off.
"I think it's really important
to do what you love," he said.
To find out more about
the Billings Symphony Orchestra's
"BrightLights&RisingStars"concert,
go to www.billingssymphony.
o rg/09-10 co nce rts_a ncl_events/
oct1Obright_stars.html. To find out
more about the music education
program at MSU Billings, call 657-
2350.
3
By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
NEWS &CAMPUS LIFE
Career Services Employer
Partnership
MI Employer kyrr.■44 Partnership
7/111 Program
MSU Billings Career Services
By CAREER SERVICES
For The Retort
The Employer Partnership
program at Career Services
began its second year on July 1st,
offering employers enhanced
visibility on campus and on the
web at www.msubillings.edu/
careers. Opportunities range from
recognition at career events and
sponsorship of Career Services
Student Advocates' scholarships to
hosting a table of students at the
annual Etiquette Business Dinner,
a networking and gourmet dining
experience.
"The Employer Partnership
program gives employers an
innovative way to differentiate and
brand their company on campus,"
according to Patricia Reuss,
director of Career Services, "and
we're excited to introduce our six
2009-10 Partners: Cherry Creek
Radio, EideBailly, Yellowstone Boys
& Girls Ranch, EBMS, KPMG, and
St. Vincent Healthcare." Based on
evaluations from 2008-09 Partners,
Career Services has fine-tuned its
program to better meet employer
needs, offering them more
exposure at both COT and Senior
Campuses. Employer Partnerships
also have allowed Career Services
to hire marketing interns, Victoria
Fernandez Lorenzo-Arroyo (Fall
2008) and Xiaoyi Wang (Fall 2009),
whose expertise helps promote
both Career Services and its
Partners.
This year Cherry Creek
Radio has renewed its Platinum
Partnership and according to
Augie Aga, station manager, "The
Employer Partnership has been
better than I expected. Career
Services has gone above and
beyond as far as increasing our
visibility on campus and to the
public. It's definitely been a great
marketing investment." CCR
employs Ws, program directors,
on-air engineers, sales and office
assistants who demonstrate
"character, courage, commitment,
curiosity, and can use a calculator."
Exposure at MSUB helps CCR
introduce more new people to the
radio business, and Augie welcomes
students of all majors to check out
opportunities with the CCR team.
To learn how you can connect with
Employer Partners and the career
opportunities they offer, contact
Patricia Reuss at 657-1616 or email
careers@msubillings.edu
Walmart Makes Scholarship Donation at
MSU Billings
In case you missed the
news, Montana college students
interested in pursuing careers in
renewable or "green" energy fields
got a boost Wednesday when
Walmart donated $30,000 for
scholarships.
Joshua Phair, senior
manager and public affairs and
government relations manager
for Walmart's Rocky Mountain
Region in Denver, presented
Governor Brian Schweitzer with
the $30,000 check during a short
press conference at Montana State
University Billings. The money will
be used to fund fifteen Governor's
Best and Brightest Green Energy
Scholarships that will be available
at each campus of the Montana
Schweitzer, who
has implemented strong
energy-conservation
measures for state agencies
and has endorsed green
energy technology and
skills, said the donation fits
well with his goals.
"This donation will
help fifteen more Montana
students achieve the dream
of a college education,"
Schweitzer said. "The clean
and green energy sector is
a booming industry and this
is a win-win for students
and businesses."
The governor added
that Walmart "recognizes
that there needs to be
investments" in clean and
green energy technology
and training so that
"students in Montana will
learn new skills for the
future."
Each campus in the
Montana University System
will get one Governor's Best
and Brightest Green Energy
University System. Scholarship. They are intended for C_Th
Phair said funding the students studying in a green energy
scholarships makes good business field and will be awarded for $1,000
sense and outreach sense for a year for two years.
Walmart. Dan Villa, the governor's
"Developing a skilled education policy advisor, said
green workforce is critical for the scholarship dollars could be
our business, for our suppliers available for distribution in the next
and - most importantly - for our several weeks though the Montana
customers," he said. Guaranteed Student Loan program.
Governor Brian Schwetizer, right, talks about the $30,000 scholarship donation made Wednesday at MSU Billings. At left is Joshua Phair, a
regional senior manager and public affairs representative from Walmart. (Photo by MSU Billings News Services)
4
NEWS & CAMPUS LIFE
Montana Court upholds Parental Rights for
> Homosexuals
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
Recently, the highest
legal authority in Montana ruled
in favor of a woman who was
seeking visitation rights to two
adopted children she cared for
within the confines of a same-sex
union. Barbara Mancini had
adopted the two children with the
intent of raising them with then-partner
Michelle Kulstad, and was
seeking sole custody following
the couple's dissolution of their
ten-year relationship. In 2008, a
Montana District Court upheld
Kulstad's visitation rights, and the
appeal went before the Supreme
Court earlier this month. Mancini,
who had since married a man
was seeking sole custody of the
two children, but was met with
disappointment.
The court reached a 6-1
verdict in favor of allowing
the Kulstad equal visitation rights
to the two children. According
to the Montana Supreme Court,
Kulstad was legally considered
a parent because the following
criteria was met:
• The person shows that he
or she provided for the day-to-day
physical and emotional needs of
a child by providing food, shelter,
clothing, care, education and
discipline;
• The child's adoptive/birth
parent allowed and intended for
the parent-child relationship to
develop; and
• It is in the child's best
interests to recognize and continue
the parent-child relationship.
The Montana branch of
the ACLU (American Civil Liberties
Union) called the decision "a
victory for families in all shapes,
sizes and colors.", and in adding
insult to injury ruled that Kulstad
was entitled to a "fair share of joint
property".
Judge Jay Nelson had the
following to say about the legal
precedent: ""I am convinced that
until our courts, as a matter of
law, accept homosexuals as equal
participants with heterosexuals
in our society, each person with
exactly the same civil and natural
rights, lesbian and gay citizens will
continue to suffer homophobic
discrimination."
The verdict was not without
its share of criticism, however.
According to the Missoulan, a
spokesman for the Montana
Family Foundation called the
court's decision and attempt to
"simply [bend] existing law to
reach a predetermined social
position. ... This is an egregious
decision." It will be interesting to
see the ramifications of such a hot
button legal precedent and how it
translates for the pro-gay marriage
camp.
MSUB Enrollment reaches 5000
['
/—
By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
MSUB marked another
milestone this semester as overall
headcount enrollment topped
5,000 students for the first time in
its history.
According to official 15th-day
data reported to the Office
of the Commissioner of Higher
Education, MSUB's enrollment is
5,041 students, a record for the
university. The full-time equivalent
(FTE) enrollment is 4,026.54, which
is 268.42 above Fall 2008 FTE.
Of the total headcount
enrollment, 3,635 are enrolled in
classes at the main campus and
1,406 are enrolled at the West End
COT. The COT enrollment also sets a
record.
"Reaching this landmark has
been a long time in the making and
a true team effort," said Dr. Ronald
Sexton, chancellor at MSUB. "Our
student services specialists, our
faculty and our staff have worked
tirelessly over the past year to
demonstrate the quality and value
of the educational experience at
MSU Billings. Their commitment to
our students is commendable."
Sexton also credited the students
and their families for recognizing
the overall value of higher education
at MSUB. As a comprehensive
regional university in an urban
setting, students get opportunities
here that add value to their
academic studies. For example,
internships in the retail, health
care and financial hub of Montana
offer real-world experiences not
available elsewhere.
While the overall university
headcount enrollment is up about
7 percent from a year ago, the
largest increase has taken place in
the COT. The headcount enrollment
is up about 25 percent (1,406
compared to 1,127 in fall 2008) and
the number of part-time students
at the COT is up 31 percent and the
number of full-time students is up
about 20 percent.
John Cech, dean at the
COT, said the increased enrollment
shows that the word is spreading
about the value of two-year
degrees and transfer possibilities
to four-year programs.
"Since spring of 2002, the
COT has witnessed a 260-percent
growth in student enrollment. This
could not have happened without
the incredible work of the faculty
and staff of the college," he said.
"I am especially appreciative of
the outstanding work done by the
student services staff at both the
COT and the main MSUB campus."
Cech added that the COT's
growth would not have been
possible without the support of the
Billings community.
"The college has 16
program advisory committees and
a National Advisory Board. These
dedicated business and industry
leaders have given of their time,
talent and money in many ways to
support the advancement of the
college," he said.
Dr. Stacy Klippenstein is
the vice chancellor of student
affairs at MSUB and responsible
for planning and implementation
of recruitment/retention activities.
He said a university-wide effort
began last academic year with a
goal to eclipse 5,000 students.
Called "Team 5K," the
university began an internal
program that provided faculty
and staff the opportunity to be
involved in recruiting and retention
initiatives — even account for small,
individualized efforts that would
actually lead to the enrollment of a
student.
"Many staff and faculty
participated in a plethora of events
– all aimed at student enrollment
and student success," he said.
Those customer service-oriented
efforts (advising,
providing information, walking a
student through the application
process, etc.), cross-training
activities to better serve students
and development of a website to
track enrollment numbers helped
create atmosphere that embraced
enrollment growth, he said.
"A lot of people worked
diligently to make this happen," he
said.
Other MSUB enrollment
information:
• Of the total number of students
this fall, 58.1 percent are under
the age of 24. The largest
percentage of students is
between 18-21 years old.
• The average age of the
undergraduates at the main
campus is 24.8 and at the COT
it is 26.2.
• The majority of students
continue to be women.
• The number of American Indian
students on the main campus is
up nearly 18 percent from last
yeor and up 15 percent at the
COT
• The number of Hispanic
students at MSU Billings from a
year ago is up nearly 9 percent
on the main campus and up 45
percent at the COT
• There are a record 290 student-athletes
at MSU Billings taking
part in one of the 16 various
athletic programs.
• Enrollment eclipsed 1,000
students in 1958; broke the
2,000-student mark in 1964;
exceeded 3,000 students in
1967; and moved above 4,000
in 1981.
Started in 1927 as a normal
school, MSUB has become a
comprehensive regional urban
university with more than 160
academic programs in areas of
Arts and Sciences, Allied Health
Professions, Business, Education,
Technology as well as professional
development and workforce
training through the College of
Professional Studies and Lifelong
Learning. In addition, students can
choose from more than 200 classes
offered in 16 online programs.
To find out more about
MSU Billings academic offerings, go
to www.msubillings.edu or call the
Office of New Student Services at
657-2888.
5
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NEWS & CAMPUS LIFE
Raising our Spirits: Tales and Tour of the
Haunted Museum
Celebrate your Halloween at
the most unique and spooky event
in Montana! Experience the rare
opportunity to tour the legendary
Western Heritage Center building
where you will join two ghost
hunting teams and investigate
areas where paranormal activity
has been recorded, utilizing the
latest ghost hunting equipment
and testing techniques.
Your expanded experience
will include:
• Examples of video and audio
evidence collected from the
WHC and other haunted
locations in Billings.
• Tales of the thrills and chills
encountered by expert ghost
hunters as they discuss different
theories about ghosts and what
types of phenomena to look for.
• You are invited to bring your
own camera and recording
equipment for this ghostly
investigation.
• "I Survived the Haunted
Museum!" gift after completing
your hunt!
• Wear a Halloween costume
to be entered into a raffle for
prizes!
• Cocktail Reception following
the ghost hunt.
• Don't miss your chance—tickets
are required and attendance is
limited.
The tales and tour of the
haunted museum are Friday,
October 30 and Saturday, October
31 from 7:30 to 10:30 pm. Tickets
are $50 each
The Western Heritage
Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. Your contribution is
tax-deductible.
For more information:
visit the Western Heritage Center
website at www.ywhc.org, or
contact Lisa Olmsted at 256-6809
or lisa@ywhc.org .
Get REAL
In conjunction with National
Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week
2009, Choose Responsibility has
launched Get REAL, an initiative
for student body presidents at
college and university campuses
nationwide that encourages
responsibility, education, and
leadership on alcohol issues.
Student body leaders
possess the skills and real-world
experience necessary to ensure
that the debate about binge
drinking, the legal drinking age,
and campus alcohol policies is
allowed to continue unimpeded on
their campuses. Over the course
of the coming months, Get REAL
signatories will work together to
foster productive discussions about
alcohol that emphasize peer-to-peer
accountability and explore all
possible alternatives that will make
their campuses safer.
"I'm tired of the toxic
drinking environment sometimes
seen on college campuses
throughout the country," said Brody
Leven, President of the Associated
Students of Westminster College
in Salt Lake City, Utah. "I think it's
pretty unrealistic to say that the
current laws are solving all drinking
problems. I signed on with Get
REAL to promote campus safety
and intellectual discourse, knowing
that college campuses are the
perfect venue."
The culture of toxic binge
drinking is a serious public health
issue, and the Get REAL campaign
offers students the opportunity to
educate each other, promote safe
behavior, and shape the direction of
alcohol policies on their campuses.
Recent statistics from the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism reveal that the problem
of toxic drinking is getting worse on
campuses across the nation: rates
of binge drinking and unintentional
alcohol-related deaths among the
18-24 college population increased
between 1998 and 2005. Another
recent study from researchers
at the University of Minnesota
identified 18 heavy-drinking
schools and tracked survey results
of alcohol-related problems on
those campuses in 1993 and 2005,
with little or no improvement over
that 12-year period.
"These grim statistics
indicate that binge drinking is as
serious an alcohol-related problem
today as drunk driving was two
decades ago, and it is time for a
serious solution," said Choose
Responsibility President John
McCardell. "Without the guidance
and input of student government
leaders, these trends are unlikely
to improve. The time has come
to treat college students as the
young adults the law says they are,
and the Get REAL campaign will
provide these young adults with
an opportunity to influence the
debate and show leadership on
alcohol issues."
Get REAL signatories will
join a growing chorus of voices
across the country that is calling for
a discussion about toxic drinking
and the drinking age. In August of
2008, 135 college and university
presidents signed the Amethyst
Initiative, a public statement
advocating a debate about
the intended and unintended
consequences of Legal Age 21 on
campuses nationwide. By joining
this movement, these student
body presidents will ensure that
the people directly affected by
changes in campus alcohol policies
will have a chance to impact the
conversation in a meaningful way.
Choose Responsibility is a
nonprofit organization founded
to stimulate informed and
dispassionate public discussion
about the presence of alcohol in
American culture and to consider
policies that will effectively
empower young adults age 18
to 20 to make mature decisions
about the place of alcohol in their
own lives. For more information
and to learn more about the
Get REAL campaign, visit www.
chooseresponsibility.org .
6
A student talks with a representative of PPL Montana at the 2008
TechExpo event. (Photo by MSU Billings News Services)
Those who attend will meet
with representatives of 20 top area
employers including:
Allegiance Benefit Management,
Inc
Alternatives, Inc.
American Medical
Response
Billings Clinic
Billings Health &
Rehabilitation
Bresnan
.an ULTIMATE HERO'
4.; gn your contract and get your wristband Today at
Petro Hall Detk
ASMSU BillinEs SUB 213
%mock Hall Detik
Student Health Services
NEWS & CANITUS LIFE
Tech jobs on the Rise
Communications
Cherry Creek Radio
ConocoPhillips
EBMS
Interim Healthcare
Lumber Yard Supply
Montana Department of Transportation
Motor Power Equipment
PPL Montana
St John's Lutheran Ministries
To rge rson's
US Army Recruiting
Valley Health Care
Western Mine Service
Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch
The employers registered for the event are
looking to hire interns and to fill full-time positions.
Job-seekers should bring copies of their résumés
and register at the door. Parking is free on the day
of the event in the parking lot east of the Health
Science Building at the College of Technology.
For more information, go to www.
msubillings.edu/careers or call the Office of Career
Services at 657-2168.
Tunics
Continued from page 1
Very much in the look and fashion of 80's hair
metal bands with a touch of screamo thrown in for
spice, End Ever can easily be called head-banger
metal in all its glory. The music was energizing
and invigorating, and the lead singer left the stage
and came out into the crowd.
The table at the entry held a little piggy
bank labeled "Moody's Medical Fund" started
for a member of local band Funk in the Trunk, Gy
Moody. Moody suffered a heart attack on August
6th in one of the local health food stores. As a
veteran he is able to get his medication through
the VA (Veterans Health Administration, part of
the US Department of Veterans Affairs) but as a
small business owner he has no health insurance
and currently owes about $60,000 in medical bills.
His fellow local musicians started this fund to help
reduce some of the stress due to these medical
bills.
By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
As the economy begins the
long march toward recovery, area
employers are looking for good ways
to connect with quality employees.
The newest opportunity is the
upcoming TechExpo, to be held
later this month at the Montana
State University Billings College of
Technology.
The event, which links job
and internship opportunities with
students earning two-year degrees
and certificates, is scheduled for
Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 1-4 p.m. in
the new Health Sciences Building
on the MSU Billings College of
Technology campus, 3803 Central
Ave.
It is free and open to the
public as well as college students.
The event is co-hosted by the
2009-10 Career Services Employer
Partners: Cherry Creek Radio,
Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch,
EideBailly, KPMG, St. Vincent
Healthcare, and EBMS.
7
A previous Billings Zombie Walk. (Photos courtesy of Lou Donaldson)
One of the many participants in the appraisal event. (Photo by Lou Donaldson)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
From the Desk of One Baroque College
Student: Day of the Living Dead
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
It's October once again
and that means it's time for raking
leaves, carving jack-o-lanterns and
eating lots of candy. Sadly, though,
for the residents of Montana
October also means it's time for
snow. Yes, snow; that cold white
stuff that makes one groan when
they look out the window in the
morning. One can hope beyond
hope that it will be gone before
Halloween so that our costumes
will not have to be once again worn
over snowsuits.
Hope for a snow-free
Halloween also prevails among
us who will be part of the "Living
Dead" that will invade downtown
for the 3rd annual Billings Zombie
Walk. This year the zombies will
be meeting on the court house
lawn at 4pm on Saturday, October
31st. This event has received a
bit of attention from the Billings
Gazette as well as the Billings Police
Department in the past; a good
Samaritan alerted the police to
two wounded and bloody people
walking down 27th Street on their
way to the festivities.
As an active participant
in the Zombie walk since its
conception it makes me happy to
see the crowd growing every year.
The creations and costumes range
from just plain funny to downright
revolting, and including everything
from Jesus to Michael Jackson in
"Thriller."
While Billings does host
many Halloween events the
options for those with children are
somewhat limited. For example,
there are age restrictions on shows
at the Alberta Bair Theater and
the Yellowstone Art Museum.
Thankfully, for those of us with our
own little spawns the zombie walk
is family-friendly.
For those looking for more
information on the Zombie Walk
please visit http://www.myspace.
com/billingszombiewalk. The
website has images and videos from
past Zombie Walks, the zombie
code of conduct, and instructional
videos on applying zombie makeup.
Roadshow Hits Billings
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
At nine in the morning on
September 26th people started
lining up outside the Yellowstone
Art Museum for the Antiques
Road Show (seen on PBS at 8pm
on Monday nights) style appraisal
event. For ten dollars per piece,
patrons could have their items
appraised by Mr. Thomas Gordon;
the fee also admitted entry into
the museum to see exhibits such
as "Curious Finds." The turnout
far exceeded the museum's
expectations and some people
were permitted to observe the
event but weren't able to have their
piece appraised. The thick walls of
the old jail hindered the internet
service and so the appraiser was
not always able to provide
exact amounts.
People brought in a
wide array of items including
books, paintings, fossils
(the legacy of one woman's
recently deceased husband
who collected and catalogued
them over twenty years), a
Yukato stencil used to hand-stencil
kimonos, part of a
woman's great grandmothers
dowry and even a complete
set (bullet mold and all the
trappings) of dueling pistols
from 19th century Germany
worth five figures. A gift from
native painter Tahona given
to the owner of the Santa Fe
Wigwam Café in 1945 was
Continued on page 9
8
(Above) A small wooden box that was appraised by Thomas Gordon (Below) People lined up outside of YAM for the event
(Photos by Lou Donaldson)
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box and has hand-carved
imagery,
a wooden hinge,
and an inscription
stating that the
box was a present
from Christopher
Knauff to his
brother Bernard
Knauff in 1854.
Even through the
box is not for sale
it is interesting to
know that it could
fetch three to four
thousand dollars.
The piece
de resistance of
this event was
a light from the
Vatican. Brought
in by Tex Janecek,
the lamp is carved
from marble and
>
Continued from page 8
priced between $3500 and $4000.
A woman by the name of
Beth Morrow brought in a piece
that had been in her family since
her mother's great grandmother
> <
had brought over from England.
Mrs. Morrow also had records
documenting the plight of 17-year
old Anna Wise and her friend from
the Isle of Wight who, during a
boat voyage from England in 1773,
were told they would be sold into
slavery to pay their passage. While
her friend jumped overboard, Anna
earned her freedom and went on
to marry. Because the document
was mounted in a shadow box the
appraiser was unable to give a price
range.
I brought in a small wooden
box that a hermit sheep herder
found in a rotted gunny sack on the
prairie south of Chinook and gave to
my grandmother. It is called a tobac is in eight interlocking segments.
When asked how he acquired such
a rare piece Mr. Janecek stated that
as a boy he lived on the shore of Lake
Oconomowoc near a monastery
run by the Sistertion monks. When
the Vatican converted from electric
to gas lighting in 1962, a Father
Pitosy collected about a dozen
or so of the lamps which broke
in transport. Father Pitosy gave
the two remaining lamps to Mr.
Janacek's father. The appraiser
stated that he couldn't put a price
on the lamp and that it's origin
made it priceless.
The Yellowstone Art
Museum hopes to make this
an annual event, extending the
length and possibly bring in other
specialists in addition to the
appraiser. Hopefully this year's
turnout has proven the need for
such improvements.
Now located in the Alterowitz Gym open lam to 2pm and during all Yellowjacket events!
9
Shay Church and Chinese Zodiac Animals are two pieces in the "Curious Finds"
exhbit (Photos by Lou Donaldson)
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Once in a Lifetime Opportunity
11,
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
Currently on display at
the Yellowstone Art Museum is a
exhibit that is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to view, entitled
"Curious Finds." Why, you may
ask, is this a once in a lifetime
opportunity? Well, the answer is
simple: unless you want to go to jail
for B and E (breaking and entering)
the chance to see these pieces
up close is slim. "Curious Finds"
features pieces from the private
collections of people in and around
Billings.
One piece featured is a large
ceramic entitled "Shay Church,"
made of stoneware. At first look
it appears to be a stand of dead
trees, some of which have been
cut out. Upon closer inspection a
bear's head can clearly be seen as
comprising the base of the piece,
and when walking around the piece
the bear's head and neck as well as
part of the body of a heron can be
seen.
There are a number of
other smaller ceramic pieces,
such as "Gilded Jug" by Charles
James Mason. "Carved Ivory
Ball" is a beautiful example of
the many intricately carved ivory
pieces. Another is "Chinese Zodiac
Animals" which showcases the
twelve aspects of the Chinese
zodiac masterfully carved from a
single piece of ivory. Another item
of interest appealing especially to
history buffs is a photograph of
Curley, the Crow scout that rode
with Custer on June 25th 1876.
Blown glass bottles, a
handmade wooden mask and a
carved wooden shield fill the four
rooms and two halls of the museum
set aside for this exhibition. There
are a myriad of paintings for the eyed
and mind to feast upon including
landscapes and portraits done in
acrylic, oil on canvas and even paint
on silken wall tapestries.
The top piece of thil. 4
exhibition is an Uzbekistan
(relatively small country between
Turkmenistan (country above Iran)
and Kazakhstan) dress. This is a
beautiful piece with such detail and
craftsmanship one wants to touch
it, to pick it up and hold it closer
for a better look. The bright red
dress with black trim and shoulder
fringe has bead work, metal pieces
and shells, and upon first glance -
appears to be a beautiful example
of native work.
This show is definitely
worth the trip to the museum —
who knows if or when the chance
to see these pieces will ever arise
again.
10
OPINION
Clearing up the Confusion
>
By JEN GROSS
Of The Retort Staff
I am alarmed and unsettled
• by the reaction of many of my peers
at the mention of "feminism."
Alarmed and unsettled, but not
shocked. Most people who don't
self-identify as feminists hold
serious misconceptions about
the true meaning of the terms
"feminist" and "feminism." It is
time to clear up the confusion.
At its very foundation,
feminism is the belief that there
ought to be equality between the
sexes. Women and men should be
no more and no less than equal in
opportunity within our societal,
cultural, and political institutions.
Feminism challenges the dominant
cultural and historical view
that men, and their associated
"masculinity," are somehow
superior to women and the concept
of "femininity."
Although patriarchy and
male superiority have existed
throughout history, the common
misconceptions about and disdain
for feminists can be traced back
to the late 1960s. At that time,
women began mobilizing and
organized their complaints of
discrimination, oppression and
exploitation into a prominent
social movement. These women's
actions provoked an intense and
lasting oppositional movement,
known as a backlash.
The dreaded backlash.
It occurs in response to popular
and influential movements, ideas
or actions that not only suggest,
but require, systemic change,
and often a reassessment of
one's own values and actions.
Many social movements elicit
resistance from the mainstream
because it almost always means
that a person or a group of people
will have to give up power and
privilege.
The feminist movement
of the late 1960s and 1970s
threatened men's position of
power in the workforce, in politics,
and in just about every other social
institution save home economics
and child rearing. Sensing this
threat, men who didn't care to
consider women their equals, as
well as women who didn't perceive
their inferior position in society as
problematic, contributed to one of
the most troubling backlashes of
the twentieth century. The effects
of that backlash, also known as
antifeminism, can still be readily
observed forty years later.
Today, an antifeminist
attitude permeates the popular
culture. Women who speak up
against exploitation in the media,
or who promote closing the gender
earnings gap, are too often written
off as wacked-out "radicals," who
would be better off not bucking the
system that so clearly defines and
distinguishes the rolls of women
and men. Meanwhile, images of
women in the media clearly send
the message that women are
objects, and that they should be
happy to be considered so, while
women continue to earn just 77
cents for every dollar that men
earn.
It's disheartening to see
so many misconceptions about
feminism cropping up right here
at MSUB. I have frequently heard
my peers refer to feminists as
"overzealous, man-hating, hairy-legged
dissidents." First of all, I am
inclined to point out that is an ad
hominen argument. Rather than
address the actual issue of gender
discrimination, antifeminists often
resort to cheap name-calling and
defamatory tactics in an attempt
to discredit the virtues of feminist
thought and praxis.
Despite its prevalence,
I have yet to encounter an
antifeminist argument, on campus
or off, that actually dismantles
the premise that women and men
ought to be treated equally within
our societal institutions. Generally,
antifeminist arguments rely on
science or religion to "prove" that
women are, in fact, inferior to men.
For example, women are said to
be biologically inferior to men, and
the Bible is often quoted to justify
subordination. However, similar
arguments were once made by
white people to justify the use of
black people for human slavery. We
can all agree (I hope) that the merit
of those scientific and religious
arguments did not justify slavery,
even though at the time, many
(white) people believed that it did.
The same is true of contemporary
arguments used to justify
discrimination against women.
Often I encounter people
who have so bought into the
dominant patriarchal worldview
that they are delusional to the point
of thinking gender equality is one
of the most preposterous concepts
since affirmative action. "Sexism
doesn't exist, anymore," men
say, as they ogle the dangerously
underweight and scantily clad
female models in their magazines.
"Sexism doesn't exist, anymore,"
women say as they despair at the
sight of the impossibly thin and
flawless models in their magazines.
"Why bother with a women's
movement?" they ask. My reply?
If we don't bother, equality, peace
and universal respect are but distant
and unattainable pipedreams.
To me, antifeminism is
chillingly reminiscent of yet another
misconception, which happened
to be a widely-held belief during
the Age of Enlightenment. The
French philosopher Rene Descartes
led many people to believe that
nonhuman animals were in fact
automata, creatures incapable of
feeling physical pain or any form
of emotion. He espoused the
practice of vivisection, whereby
painful experiments, including
the dismemberment of live,
unanesthetized animals, were to be
performed in the name of science.
Believe it or not, sexism
and vivisection arise from the
same conceptual framework that
encourages a dominant group to
use and exploit a group that is
perceived as the inferior "other."
This applies as well to all forms of
oppression and abuse, including
those based on race, class, sexual
orientation, religious affiliation or
any other marginalization. In other
words, all forms of oppression are
See Clearing Up on page 17
Cell Phones, Necessity or Addiction?
By KEN CUNNINGHAM
For The Retort
I'm down with cell phones,
really. They've become almost
a necessity in the 21st century.
There are many reasons for this,
especially for personal security, or
calling for help when you're in an
accident. They take pictures and
movies, surf the internet, and give
you access to the
blogosphere.
But what is up with this
epidemic of cell phone addiction?!
I cannot believe how many times
I've seen someone driving while
using their cell phone. It's bad
enough that almost every student
is on their phone every free minute
they have between classes. It's
even more disturbing how many
students are texting in class. What
could be so important to text
somebody that couldn't wait an
hour or so?
But the real madness
is people texting while driving.
Research has shown that 80 percent
of all automobile accidents, and
65 percent of near accidents, are
caused by distractions. Texting
while driving has a greater impact
on safety than driving drunk! The
stopping distance from 70 mph
increased by four feet while drunk,
reading an e-mail added 36 feet,
and sending a text added 70 feet.
I'll admit that I'm from
another era. I was born in the
fifties. I didn't grow up on personal
computers and cell phones. Texting
to me is insane. How do you press
those tiny little buttons over and
over again? What does a smiley
face mean anyway? I don't even
know how to speak in "textese."
But I'm willing to learn something
new. I am currently suffering from
cognitive dissonance in this area.
The disequilibrium is making my
head spin.
So, if you would like to help
me out and set me straight on how
and why using a cell phone and
texting is so important, why don't
you stop me in the hall, or in the
library, or in the dining hall, or
wherever, and TALK TO ME...FACE
TO FACE. Maybe then I will begin
to understand. If you need to get
a hold of me before we meet in
person, I'm in the phone book.
You know, that heavy yellow
book you find at your front door
every few months. And if I don't
answer, please leave a message.
Thank you, and have a nice day.
11
THANKSGIVING HOL
CLASSES
NOVF
Intervarsity 2 pm
Core Meeting (Madison)
ASMSUB Meeting
5pm Missouri
College Age Movement at Off
the Leaf 7:30pm
REGISTRATION FOR 2010
SPRING SEMESTER BEGINS
ASMSUB Meeting
5 pm Missouri
College Age Movement at Off
the Leaf 7:30pm
SAB Lecture
Judson Laipply
Evolution of Dance
Petro Theatre 7 pm Blood Drive
Ballroom 9 am— 4 pm
College Age Movement
PetroTheatre 7:30pm
PRIDE Movie Night
Lewis & Clark
7:00pm
ASMSUB Meeting
5 pm Missouri
College Age Movement at Off
the Leaf 7:30pm
ALL Gentle Thanksgiving
Vegan Food Giveaway
8am-2pm
LA Building
LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS
WITH APPROVAL OF ADVISOR
AND COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Intervarsity
4 pm
Hybrid (Beartooth)
Volleyball 7 pm
Volleyball 7 pm
LAST DAY TO APPLY TO
GRADUATE SUMMER
SEMESTER 2010 (ATTENDING
CEREMONY)
LAST DAY TO APPLY TO GRAD-UATE
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THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY NO
CLASSES
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If you would like to have your
event placed on our calendar
please send the name of the
event, the date time and
place and one contact phone
number to msubretort@
gmail.com THE DEADLINE FOR
THE DECEMBER CALENDAR IS
NOVEMBER 10th AT 5PM
OPINION
A Sad Reality By NICOLE MASS
For The Retort
The following is a true
representation of a very real
phenomenon: imagine a cage full
of puppies. Their snouts have been
seared off with a hot iron without so
much as a single drop of painkillers,
and they are so cramped in their
feces-encrusted cage that they are
unable to turn around or stand up
in. The wire mesh of the cage rubs
and digs into their paws, causing
deformity and great pain. Neurotic
with terror and frustration, they
attempt to bite each other and
themselves, but without teeth they
are unable to damage the valuable
flesh of their cellmates.
Their captors kick and punch
them, often to death. For fun, a
group of workers twist a puppy's
head until she is decapitated. They
laugh. One puppy is found with a
missing leg, a worker having pulled
her through the bars of the cage
even though her foot was caught.
Many of the puppies suffer
from infection, open wounds,
blindness due to the ammonia
wafting from the urine-soaked
concrete, arthritis, cuts, scrapes,
bruising and illness. They are
forcibly impregnated and often
starved for up to fourteen days
to speed up the birthing process.
Their offspring are immediately
taken from them.
After about seventy weeks,
the survivors will be shipped many
miles away in the blistering heat or
freezing cold to a slaughterhouse.
They will be hung upside down,
their throats will be slit and then,
often still conscious, dunked into
a scalding tank to remove their
fur. They will then be chopped,
processed, packaged into neat little
Glad-wrapped cartons and shipped
to grocery stores where blissfully
ignorant consumers will purchase
their rotting remains, choosing
never to associate these remains
with anything that was once alive
and as acutely able to feel pain and
grief and terror as any of us.
Pretty gruesome, right?
I imagine many of you are
stunned and angry and hopefully
wondering what you can do to
put a stop to what you have just
read. The answer is to stop buyi ► e,
chickens and their eggs. The above
description is that of the life of
a typical laying hen. Please ask
yourself why you would feel horror
and outrage at the thought of a dc_,
enduring such cruelty but would
turn your eyes away and refuse to
consider or acknowledge the same
treatment when committed against
a hen or other non-human animiik
that via torture on a factory farm .'"
ends up as dinner on our plates.
Please visit www.meetyourmeat.
corn for further information.
Vegan Burgers Hugely Popular at History
Club Fundraiser
By JEN GROSS
Of The Retort Staff
Meatless burgers were
received with open taste buds at
the recent "Brats, Burgers & Beer"
fundraiser for the MSUB History
Club. The Boca brand vegan burgers
sold out long before volunteers
shut their barbeque lids to call it
a night at the Yellowstone Valley
Brewing Company.
The History Club's grill team
came supplied with a 15-pak of Boca
burgers from Costco, but it proved
insufficient to meet the demand
of the previously untapped vegan
(pronounced vee-GUN) market.
"Quite a few people came up and
asked for a vegan burger even after
they were sold out," said Karen
Ortegal, a sociology student and a
member of the History Club who
volunteered at the event.
Jonnie Eggeland was lucky
enough to snag one of the hot
commodities before they were
gone. A sophomore in the art
program, Eggeland said, "I told my
vegan friend I'd try one. But I've
had veggie burgers before and
think they're good."
For various reasons, people
may choose not to consume animal
products. Vegans exclude all animal
products from their diet. Vegan
food is plant-based and contains no
dairy, meat, or egg products.
Dr. Keith Edgerton, who
grilled up the tasty vegan burgers,
was not surprised that the plant-based
burgers were so popular.
"I know more and more folks are
moving toward diversity in their
diets," he said. "It's nice to have
something different for folks."
Dr. Edgerton teaches history
is a professor in the History
Department.
"Brats, Burgers, and Beers"
is a popular fundraising event that
the History Club started aboui
four years ago. Although this was
the first time they offered a vegan
option, it won't be the last. Dr.
Edgerton said they will continue
to offer vegan burgers "as long a
there is a market, for sure." The
proceeds help students travel to the
annual Phi Alpha Theta Northwest
Regional Student Conference every
spring
Another Step in the Right Direction
By JASON RODRIGUEZ
For The Retort
Environmental
Sustainability: meeting the needs of
the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to
meet their needs.
For folks who frequent the
Liberal Arts and Library Building,
you've no doubt noticed the
blue recycling bins setup by the
Associated Students of Montana
State University Billings (ASMSUB)
last year. This is the latest attempt
to realize a recycling program on
our campus - but this year the
ASMSUB can guarantee it will be
the last.
Under student body
President Rob Barnosky
and in conjunction with the
Environmental Awareness Club,
the ASMSUB created the Student
Initiated Recycling Program (SIRP).
Additionally, they established a
position within student government
for a Sustainability Coordinator to
oversee the program, and expand
sustainability initiatives that are
important to students. I had the
privilege of being the Sustainability
Coordinator over the summer, and
will continue in that position this
semester.
Due to the prohibitive costs
of purchasing the blue recycling
containers, the SIRP originally
intended to incrementally cover the
campus over the span of five years.
While that plan was reasonable,
I am often too impatient to be
reasoned with. My goal was to have
campus-wide recycling in place by
the start of this semester, but that
proved a little more difficult than
anticipated. Fortunately, with bit
of luck and a substantial donation
by the local Coca-Cola Bottling
Company we are on the downhill
stretch of realizing a campus wide
recycling program.
When I first met Doug
Becker, the sales center manager at
the Billings branch of the Coca-Cola
Co., I knew immediately we had an
ally in our efforts. Besides being
receptive to the idea of recycling,
he was happy to help us realize our
goal. "Not only does this program
give the [Coca-Cola] company
a chance to help the [MSUB]
campus," he said "but it's the right
thing to do."
The solution to the bulk of
our container problem came in the
form of reused syrup containers,
which Coke ships to its bottlers
across the country. The containers
are sturdy and voluminous, perfect
for our needs. A little ingenuity and
teamwork on the part of Coca-Cola
and student senators of ASMSUB,
and presto: recycling containers!
The program is on its way
and you'll see more recycling
stations popping up arounH
campus this semester. What is
helpful to take away from this
effort is that students can make a
difference on this campus - if you
get involved! While the cost of this
program is funded by student fees,
the administration has given us the
green light to move forward and
supports our efforts. With partners
like Coca-Cola and Earth First Aid
(the company contracted to pick
our recyclables) the MSUB campus
has taken another step in the right
direction.
I'd like to personally thank:
Doug Becker, Jeff Edwards, an-the
crew at Coca-Cola; Chancellor
See Step on page 17
14
OPINION
Candr6 wRO
Our resident sexpert Candi La Fleur is here to answer all your
questions about sex, love, and romance. If you'd like to write Candi
with your questions please submit them to msubretort@gmail.com .
All letters will be printed annonymously. Due to the large volume
of mail she recieves, Candi can not respond to individual emails.
Hey Candi, I'm thinking about getting into internet dating. Do you think it's a good idea? Is there anything I should
watch out for?
> Well I think as long as you're comfortable with it then its fine. There are a few things to consider. Most internet dating sites charge a fee ranging
anywhere from ten to thirty dollars a month. On some sites you may be limited to what you can say and post about yourself so you will have to have
your profile reviewed before it's posted. Also because you may not be meeting your potential mate for quite some time, you need to be patient. Most
people think internet dating is a fast track and takes out the usual effort and patience required with more traditional relationships. It isn't. Getting to
know someone, in any context, is a process that takes time and shouldn't be rushed. Finally, if you do find that special someone and decided to meet face
to face make sure you meet in a public, well lit environment for at least the first date, and probably for the first three or four. Also NEVER go home with
someone you met on a first face to face date. The important thing with being safe in this or any dating situation is to not let the novelty and excitement
of apotential relationship cloud your better judgment. As always, should your relationship become physical, make sure you wrap it before you tap it.
I've been seeing a prostitute for several months now and I've started to have feelings for him. I want to tell him, but I'm
worried about rejection. What should I do?
The truth is we all get lonely sometimes and it's very natural to seek someone out who can help us manage those feelings. In your case you've turned to a
professional sex worker and although I can't advocate illegal behavior, on a personal level I think what you are doing and the feelings you are having are very
normal. The problem is that most prostitutes are extremely cautious about entering into romantic relationships. If they do end up in a relationship, monogamy
can be a bit of an issue. Have you considered what would happen if this man had feelings for you but wanted to keep hustling? For whatever reasons, good
or bad, prostitutes usually see sex as a business and tend to detach emotion from it. My advice to you is to weigh the potential gains against the losses here.
Telling him how you feel may be a relief for you in that you finally get to express your emotion, but that doesn't mean it will yield the results you are looking for.
Hey Candi, I've been telling my friend that she should report a rape she suffered over the summer, but she said that
because she had an orgasm it couldn't have been rape. Is there anything that you can do to help convince her?
First off, your friend is lucky to have someone like you in her life. The courts and legal systems in our country do not recognize physical arousal,
or climax as justification for sex. Around 30% of people have orgasms during a rape because of the way our human minds proces physical
sensation and arousal. If you friend won't report the rape make sure you let her know that the police and courts are obligated under the law
to protect her should she feel her safety and security would be compromised by reporting this crime. Also let her know that she would be
helping to (hopefully) convict a man who might do this to someone else, or in all likelihood already has. Offering to go with her can often make
it easier as well. Since she is the one who will have to press charges, unless she agrees to do it there isn't much the police can do. You need to
\_ give her encouragement and support, and reassure her as much as possible that you're there for her and that this is not her fault in any way.
Neither Candi La Fleur nor The Retort advocate dangerous or illegal behavior. It is the responsibility of the individual to be aware of local, state and federal
laws regarding their behavior. Candi La Fleur believes her advice to be helpful and useful but holds no certifications or degrees. This advice should not be used
in place of or as a substitue for qualified psychological or medical advice, nor should you ignore the directives or advice of a qualified professional based on
the information in this column. Persons with emotional and/or sexual disfunctions are urged to seek the help of a qualified professional as soon as possible.
15
OPINION
Scraping the Barrel: The Final Death oi
Optimistic Nonsense
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
Note from Mike, or
NFM: What do you get when
you accidentally submit a half-completed
article? The correct
answer is last issue's offering of
soggy crap. For those of you who
had to absorb 800 words that read
like a sappy and self-indulgent
Gilmore Girls plot line, you noticed
that my intended "parody of real
life" displayed a complete lack of
any jokes or reputable sarcasm
whatsoever. Although the final
draft (which is still on my desktop)
was funnier than being kicked in
the face by a rabid mule.
To say I am embarrassed
that piece of garbage inexplicably
made print is a vast, vast
understatement... to be completely
honest, the fact that that article
had my name on it made me more
uncomfortable than a vegan who
just experienced having a corn dog
forcibly lodged in her windpipe. My
bad.
Secondly, for the first time
ever, I am offering an apology for
a retrospectively cruel and totally
unneeded comment I made. I have
long operated from the plateau
of joking about anything and
everything and anyone who has
know me for more than twenty
minutes knows that nobody has
more fun at my expense than
yours truly. Even as Nebraska's first
fourth-grade card-carrying nihilist, I
knew I had little respect for those
who picked on others with little
provocation, and as someone
layered with various character and
physical flaws (See: Mike's comically
sporadic patches of body hair), I
am the last person to poke fun at
anybody's personal appearance,
especially when I failed to frame it
in a context that wouldn't seem as
an attack the average person.
That is not how I have
ever done business, and to
those I offended or made
uncomfortable, please
accept my apologies. Now,
if I haven't totally lost you,
avert your eyes southward
as I try to rebuild my shanty
of dignity and integrity one
poorly-crafted word at a
time. Now quickly, Hand
me the righteous spackle of
redemption!
I have what I like to
call my secret Archangel of
Optimism; somebody who
has the ability to ninja up
from behind me for the explicit
purpose of trying to cheer me up,
and despite the fact that she knows
that I hate this, still continues to
try. Like somewhere deep within
the recesses of my battered and
bitter soul lies an orb of joy, waiting
to spring forth in a happy rainbow
of orange sherbet-flavored viscera
from my pasty chest and pollinate
the world in a veritable rainbow of
kittens, balloons, and a rejuvenating
dose of zippity-doo-da. I hate to
disappoint you my dear, but that
is simply not true. Sure, she grates
upon my bah-humbug sensibilities
and less-than buoyant outlook, but
I have no excuse to as why I continue
to schedule social activates in
public with her, aside from the fact
I obviously enjoy marinating in my
own self-loathing. Also, my two
primary default emotions happen
to be anger and apathy, and most
people cannot get past that.
I don't always smile, or more
accurately I don't make a conscious
effort not to. I just fail to see the
good in being always chipper
and cheery, light as a feather and
sailing on the breezes of misguided
giddiness like a cartoon frog in a
Disney movie. Remember Charles
Schulz's iconic 'Peanuts 'comic
strip? Go read it as an adult when
you're having a crappy day, and
tell me it isn't the most depressing
thing on the planet. Charlie Brown
was freaking miserable. His friends
were dicks, he was ostracized by his
classmates, his unrequited desire
for the little red-headed made him
miserable, he was a terrible athlete,
and you know for a fact that for all
his forced ironclad optimism, he
ended up alone and unloved, with
a serious drinking problem smoking
unfiltered reservation cigarettes
living in an apartment above a used
furniture store. I challenge you to
be happy after reading that last
paragraph. Mike 1, Optimists 0.
To avoid mentioning that
the childhoods of yours truly and
good ol' Chuck Brown didn't share
disturbing similarities would be
doing a great disservice to the
message I am trying to drive home
with such subjective force. I too,
was a social pariah who didn't
even rate high enough to play D&D
with the Audio/Visual club, and I
distinctly remember one encounter
with a childhood bully. "If you don't
mind", I squeaked. "Could you avoid
hitting me in the face because we
are having family pictures taken
this evening." Well, it turned out
the bully did in fact mind at least
several times, and let me just say
a family portrait loses a great deal
of nostalgic luster when your fat lip
is immortalized for all eternity (or
at least until your parents messy
divorce when all family photos
were destroyed). Also, take into
account that I was generally socially
awkward and uncoordinated led
to me not having a date for prom,
and then you tell me how I could
have possibly emerged from the
minefield of childhood twirling a
shiny baton as I lead the optimist
parade. I don't blame my parents,
though. Of their four children, three
turned out to be successful, well
adjusted and popular, placing their
success rate at about 75%, which
translates into a pretty respectable
and average score. Yes, my parents
got a 'C' in parenting, and if that's
good enough to graduate college, I
suppose it's good enough to spawn.
Smartly done, parental figures!
For a sociologyclass recently,
I had to list my personal references,
perhaps to determine the value of
my inner circle to society, because
as the old adage goes, "A person
is judged by the company he
keeps...in bed" (Assume I got this
assignment from a fortune cookie).
But let's talk for a moment, if
you will, about my inner circle of
friends; namely those close to me
and those who have incriminating
photographic evidence that could
very well doom my chances of me
ever being elected to public office.
I am not somebody who promotes
an aura of infectious optimism, so
understandably my social circle
does not have what one could call
a "broad circumference". Inside
these narrow confines of old
friends and confidants stands a
veritable rouge's gallery of misfits,
mongoloids, alcoholics, arrogant
intellectuals and single parents
who refuse to hug their children.
After several stiff drinks, I have just
now officially determined that
social circle is for utter shit.
Some people call me a
grouch, but I disagree. If I am
anything, I'm a realist. Sometimes
situations just flat out suck, and
there is nothing that can be done
about that. I hate when people
try to cheer me up; if I wanted
to hop, skip, and laugh I would
ingest any form of mood altering
Altoid-sized medication by re
handful and everything would be
peachy. In fact, I think that anyo-ne
who automatically proposes
an omnipotent silver lining or a
divine will in any crappy situation
is someone weak in inner strength.
I for one am not from Thailand,
Burma, or Arkansonian trailer
parks, but I imagine it is difficult to
find the silver lining in tsunamis,
genocide, or tornados...or
in Arkansas. But at least Sylvester
Stallone is there to lecture us about
the human condition by lopping
off some Asian dude's head with
a homemade machete. Thank
Rambo! (NFM: You'd have to have
seen the latest Rambo to get that
joke. Is it too much to ask that you
meet me halfway?) Now somebody
get me a Zoloft and a chicken burrito
because I just now remembered
Katrina turning the ninth ward into
beachfront property a few years
back.
To close out this article, (and
I had to wait until the end, else
exhaust my allotted column space
in rapid fashion) I have highlighted
a list of things that darken my
outlook: Flat-brimmed ball caps,
any mug that holds more than for`
ounces of fluid, churches asking
me for money, forwarded emails,
karaoke, mechanical pencils, pro-life
fanatics, pay-per-view hotel
porn, crappy bands who make good_;
music, people who drink coffee
through straws, corsages, AAA
batteries, "Reverend" Fred Phelps
and his congregation of hate-mongers,
Texas, my cousin and her
brood of ill-behaved brats, Napsti.,-,
cancer, the number two, anyone
under the age of 68 with a "Family
Circus" cartoon stuck to their
refrigerator with a dumb novelty
magnet, motocross, the mulle'
guys who celebrate the entire
Abercrombie and Fitch catalog on a
Continued on page 17
16
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-
OPINION
Clearing
Up
Continued from page 11
are linked, and the forces underlying
sexism are the same forces that
- mote racism, and, as I will argue
in future columns, is the underlying
cause of anthropocentric
environmental decay.
Totally radical, you say?
Well, that depends on your
Understanding of the term "radical."
The word "radical" has popularly
been co-opted and re-crafted to
describe someone or something
that is not only unconventional,
bu-I. is inherently dangerous
and irrational. In actuality, and
according to one of my favorite
reference tools, www.dictionary.
reference.com , "radical" is defined
3s-,"of or going to the root or
origin; fundamental." So feminism
is radical in that it challenges the
Fundamental attitudes and beliefs
laf a societal structure that accords
greater value to men than to
women.
I don't blame anyone for
their misinformed perceptions of
feminism. I understand that we live
in a society that has systematically
normalized discrimination,
oppression, and exploitation since
its inception. It's hard to step
away from that system in order
to see something that is certainly
present, yet so normal that we
don't even notice it. I think we have
an obligation, though, if we desire
to be ethical subjects, to question
ideologies and practices that
harm others. By harm, I mean that
women are harmed when they are
perceived as not equal to men. I do
not mean that men will be harmed
when gender equality removes
them from the top of the hierarchal
ladder.
I also wish to address the "all
men are created equal" mentality
that persists in this country. It is all
too often touted as one of the most
conscientious and inclusive political
observations to have been made in
U.S. history. I cringe every time I
hear it. "All men are created equal"
is anything but a conscientious and
inclusive moral philosophy. It is, in
fact, a depthless and exclusive way
to advocate social justice for those
who are already at the top of the
hierarchal (patriarchal) order.
I realize that "all men are
created equal" was used in the
Declaration of Independence in
1776, a time when all the influential
thinkers were white male property
owners. Women's rights were
not yet being discussed, at least
not in the mainstream. However,
the feminist in me must quip that
historical significance is no excuse
for the frequent and continued
use of a phrase that excludes at
least 50 percent of the human
population. Even if women were
(are) presumed to be included in
the scope of "all men are created
equal," it is an anthropocentric
assertion that has no regard for
the natural world, and inevitably
leads to more oppression ai ..c; snore
exploitation.
What am I getting at? There
are many reasons indications that
we not be so quick to judge and
condemn feminists (or any other
social activists seeking equality,
for that matter) when we haven't
taken the time to think critically
about the actual issue. Just because
something is popular doesn't mean
it's right, remember? We all learned
that as kids, but it is too often
forgotten as we enter adulthood,
conforming to the roles that
society urges us to fill. We forget to
question the whys of a system that
is too vaguely understood as "the
way it is."
It is time to stop being
manipulated by a system that
counts on our willingness to
believe that gender discrimination
is acceptable. Rather, we must be
critical of the popular preconceived
notions about feminism and its
advocates. We must stop belittling
the courageous women who stand
up to sexual harassment, and
who lobby Congress for insurance
benefits that include maternity
care, and who cut their hair short
and refuse to wear makeup.
We would all do very well
to open our minds, listen, and learn
from the fabulous and insightful
feminists around us. Only then can
we seriously entertain the notion
of a world in which discrimination,
oppression, and exploitation are
replaced by equality, peace and
respect.
EAC Needs Members for Greater Success
iv JOEY KRENZER
=or The Retort
The Environmental
kwareness Club (EAC) has been a
-egistered student organization on
:his campus for many years. While
lever displaying high levels of
nembership, it has accomplished
some very beneficial projects. Most
ioteworthy was its interaction
Nith ASMSUB during the 2008-
2009 academic year to implement
a comprehensive campus recycling
program.
Current membership in the
EAC is languishing due to members
graduating and others discontinuing
membership for various reasons.
The lack of membership has left
the EAC hindered in such a way that
makes it extremely hard to initiate
and carryout further projects that
have the ability to help this campus
become a model for sustainability
in higher education.
Like most students,
academic success is a main priority
of mine, but I also feel that taking
the time and putting forth the
energy to engage with fellow
students on such important issues
as campus sustainability is an
opportunity not to be missed while
in an environment that is extremely
conducive to those activities.
In an effort to increase
the current membership level, a
recruitment meeting is being held
on October 28th from 2-3pm in
the Science Auditorium. Anyone
that is interested in being involved
with the continuing effort to
make this campus a frontrunner
in sustainability is encouraged to
attend.
Scraping the Barrel
:ontinued from page 16
Aqily basis, Pol Pot, bumperstickers,
oller blades, the Euro, sleeveless
:-shirts, parents who blame results
yf their crappy parenting on Grand
rheft Auto, Lee Greenwood and
hat ridiculous freaking novelty
song, algebra, Golden Corral
restaurants, personalized license
plates, parents with pictures of
their children on any article of
clothing, mesh trucker hats, soda
machines that charge more than
.55 for a can of Fresca, the fact that
Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck pride"
phenomena hasn't yet had its final
death rattle, bicentennials, people
who ask if I'm from Wisconsin,
celebrities telling you that it's your
obligation as an American to vote,
Laundromats, MMA apparel, and
the TV show "That's so Raven!"
And on that note, if little Rudy from
the Cosby Show has a problem with
that, I ain't hard to find.*
Step
Continued from page 14
Sexton; Senators Jared Coyle,
Ashley Adams, Grace Norman, and
Tyler Rutledge; and Joe Krenzer,
President of the Environmental
Awareness Club.
Finally, keep your eyes
open later in the semester for the
opportunity to show your support
for the SIRP by sponsoring a
recycling station. And don't forget
to check out our website: www.
msubillings.edu/green.
17
We Want ou. you en oy creative wr tin 111 • * •
CREATIVITY
Nonsense???
By KYLA MOLLETT
Of The Retort Staff
As the turtle drug its rear-less
body across the pavement,
blood drizzling from the opening,
a little girl dressed in sheep skin
skipped by on one wooden peg
leg and long blonde braids. The
turtle was twice the size of this
peculiar little girl, and it shrieked
an obnoxious, flamboyant and gut-wrenching
scream. The girl was
irritated by this so she covered
her whole head, ear to ear, with
one incredibly oversized hand.
She hobbled along, but fell into a
hole only wide enough and deep
enough for her peg leg to get stuck
in.
Then the hole grew fangs
like teeth which punctured her
wooden leg, creating a disastrous
sound along with the bellowing
turtle. The hole then opened its
bottomless pit and swallowed her
body, biting her off at the neck_ The
hole licked its chops, belched, and
then shrank away from existence.
The little girls l-read had been left to
roll around, but thankfully for her,
her pigtails doubled as legs and, as
she was getting used to her new
pair of legs, she wobbled around
wide-mouthed and cackling. When
she finally got the hang of it, she
scampered away into a wall of
water_
Standing nearby was a
cockroach wearing a bow tie, a
bowler cap and tap shoes. He was
puffs rig off of an oversized cigarette,
which he tit with a • pocket-size
campfire he had procured from
the screaming turtle. He watched
curiously as the girl's head
meandered into the vertical ocean
laughing hysterically for some odd
reason. How unusual, he thought
to himself. He took a few drags off
of the smoke, then pOpped it into
his mouth and swallowed it in one
painful gulp. He fell backwards onto
all fours and walked precariously
away.
As the scene changes, the
ocean goes to the sky, the sky to
the left, the left to the right, and
so forth: The trees all nipped onto
their sides and wheezed as they
bent downwards, A few sinappee
and started crying miseera
the others held onto Mei; roc;
for dear life Rke it was tie ittmik
Sudderily, all the water coflaptei
from the sky and the trees were
emerged in hydrogen and oxygen.
They gasped for air but received
no mercy. Naturally, a lumberjack
fish swam by at this exact moment,
and began drooling when he saw
that he was going to be dining like
a king for .a while. He rubbed his
fins together greedily as he slowly
approached his tasty, helpless
friends. He hacked at them with an
oversized plastic butter knife and
giggled like a schoolgirl runniz -,,
from the boys. Devouring the trees,
he grinned, and patted his belly in
approval. He did not realize that
he had eaten so much that it was
going to be impossible to move
for at least a few days. Suddenly
the ocean dried up and he was left
to be someone else's grub for the
night
Waking Dream
By KYLA MOLLETT
Of The Retort Staff
An unidentifiable vehicle
sped down a quiet highway. The
road curved with the geography
of the land; the car drifted around
the corners with ease. The earth
was, for the most part, flat, being
that it was Montana territory. The
occasional rocky structure rolled by
where shrubbery tried to grow and
tumble weeds accumulated. The
sun was bright on the horizon and
illuminated every physical attribute
of this dry, barren country. The
rubber of the tires grabbed the
asphalt and hurled the vehicle
forward toward the setting sun.
There was a middle-aged
man, around his late thirties, in
the passenger seat, and a young
woman behind the wheel, possible
teens, or very young twenties. The
man was in a sickening condition of
filth: his skin sunken in around his
bones, a slight tint of greenish-gray,
with his eyes bulged out behind the
dark circles on his ghostly white
face, clothing torn, dulled with dirt
and grime. He had what seemed
like years of grimy buildup under
his fingernails, and his teeth, what
he had left of them, were slowly
decaying, chipping away, turning
multitudes of unnatural colors,
creating a stench from his mouth
that was something like death. His
features were very rough, and if he
would have been a healthy man,
perhaps stocky. His hair was about
shoulder-length and full of lice and
knots; a dirty blonde color. His face
was covered in craters in which he
had been digging in, and he had
dried streams of blood that had
trickled down his features.
The woman had deep
blackened holes around her
bloodshot eyes, suggesting she
hadn't slept for many months. She
was nude and her chest revealed
large infected gashes in between
her visible rib cage. Her skin was
pulled very tight over every bone;
her body was fragile, her collar
bone protruding out of a thin
layer of ghostly skin. Her face had
a few pockmarks scattered here
and there, and she had scratches
that began at her forehead and
passed over her eyelashes down to
her cheeks until they ended at the
base of her neck. She was missing
a few front teeth, and had bruises
around her mouth, suggesting that
she had been beaten. One of her
eyes was swollen shut, and she had
a large crack down the middle of
her bottom lip, which was dry and
beginning to crust. Her fingernails
were long and jagged, broken, with
chipped blue fingernail polish. Her
stringy, thinning hair was gray with
dirt and sweat; perhaps it was once
light blonde.
The nutrients seemed to
have dissolved from their bodies
long before this trip. They seemed
to be using all of their energy to
breathe and stay awake, so they
stayed silent. The car had no radio,
so the only thing audible was the
wind whistling through the cracks
in the windshield. The sun sank
below the horizon of corn and hay,
and the air immediately began to
chill. The car headlights were very
dim, only bright enough to see a
few feet ahead, yet the woman
seemed to speed up.
Who is this man sitting next
to me? I can smell him rotting. Is
he dead? No, I think I can hear him
breathing. How long has he been
there next to me? I don't remember
picking him up.
"Why are you in my car?"
The man was silent. Can
he hear me? Oh my God, maybe
he is dead. What if I killed him? Is
that why I am driving out into the
country? Am I going to bury this
man? I don't remember doing it.
Why would I kill a man I do not even
know? Now I must run for the rest
of my life in fear! In exile! Oh God,
what if he had a family? Children!
Oh Lord what I have done, please
forgive me I know not what I do! Oh
Lord, please don't be dead. Please.
"Why are you in my car?"
The woman's voice was
shrill. Her chest swelled, and ilea
eyes began to pour with tears.
"Why are you in my car?"
Her voice was now a low,
sobbing whisper, muffled by the
tears. No response. The anxin—/
spilled out onto every inch of her
body, she began to shake.
No this can't be true! He
can't be a dead man! I would never
kill another man, it's not true.
lying to me. I know it. He probably
has a gun and held me up, forcing
his way inside my car. The fucker
probably gave me this black eye!
He is probably going to rape me
when he wakes up and kill me a;fu\
try and bury my lifeless corpse in
this wasteland. What nerve this
man had to fall asleep in my car.
She strapped on her seatbelt.
"Why are you in my car!"__
The woman slammed on
the brakes, and the man's body was
hurled forward. His face cracked on
the dashboard, and in a sudden fit
of panic he had lurched his arcnc-outwards,
resulting in one of his
fists through the cracked windshield
of the car. The vehicle made
something like a three hundred
and sixty degree rotation in the
middle of the highway, startled
young woman, causing her to panic
and try to redirect. She took them
over the edge of the road, ending
their high speed carnival ride act
at the roots of a large oak tree.
headlights flickered, and then died
out.
She came to immediately. It was
so dark, and quiet. Her heartbeat
faltered as panic pulsed throughopt
her body. Her face felt' numb on
the left side, and she could feel a
cold liquid dripping down her neck.
Her head suddenly pulsed, she felt
pressure on her retinas and her
body went cold and stiff.
was a rustling in the tall grass on
the passenger side of the vehicle.
Then the man's face became bright
as day, with a huge grin upon his
bloody and mangled features. S'
awoke screaming, blood trickling
down her chin. There was still a
sharp pain, now slowly moving to
the back of her skull. She opened
her eyes and saw the man's fa(rP
looming above her, howling wer,-r‘
laughter, in her eternal slumber.
18
CREATIVITY
submit y msubretort • gmail.com
I
YOUR WORK
HERE
The Retort needs lots of creative works
from students just like YOU. Writing,
painting, photography, sculpture or
anything else you can think of. Send
all work to msubretort@gmail.com .
Hurry, the next deadline is Novemver
10th at 5pm. Ifyou have any questions
you can call Steven @ 617-990-7209.
19
MSUB Sophmore Stephen Powell demonstrating the full body workout rock climbing
provides. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Powell)
SPORTS
Fitness in the Vertical World By KALAN HORTON
For The Retort
Are you tired of counting
calories, vegetable diets, and jump
squats? In the age of power juicers,
protein shakes, and ten minute
workouts, exercisers are seeking an
alternative means to get fit while
having fun. Some MSU Billings
students are dropping their gym
memberships and taking flight in
the vertical world for a fun way to
get a great workout.
Granite Health and Fitness
personal trainer and avid rock
climber Lindsay Robinson says,
"Rock climbing is one of the best
ways a college student can get fit,
have fun, and connect. It is a full
body workout that challenges not
only the body, but the mind as
well."
For a fitness plan to be
successful, it needs to be done
constantly over a period of time.
Many gym-goers see fitness as a
chore, not a hobby. Climbing offers
exercisers a unique, exhilarating
way to get fit without focusing on
counting reps or moving weights.
Local climbing gym SteepWorld
has been open since 2005 and
has established itself as the only
climbing gym in the Billings area.
Jim Roll, owner and climbing
veteran, teaches the Health and
Human Performance beginning
and advanced rock climbing classes
here at MSUB. Rott says, "Many
students take my rock climbing
classes for elective credits, but
some discover and pursue it as a
lifelong hobby."
SteepWorld offers
recreational climbing for beginning
and advanced climbers. Gym
climbing is a great way to learn
the fundamentals of the sport in
a safe environment. The gym floor
consists of 5 inch foam cushioning
for safety. The gym has space
designated for top rope climbing,
a beginner level of climbing that
applies basic rope skills, and
bouldering, the climbing of shorter
routes, called problems, that uses
no ropes.
"We just want people to get
people excited about climbing. It
doesn't matter what fitness level
you are currently at. Climbing
fulfills the requirements for a good
workout on all levels," says Rott.
So if you are currently choking
down the last drop of your creatine
supplement, or wondering what
happened to your summer six pack,)
climbing is a great way to mix u'r 3
your fall fitness routine.
For more information
about climbing contact SteepWorld
climbing center.
No Cutler, No Shanahan, No Problem By ROB BARNOSKY
Of The Retort Staff
There was a time this year
when I wasn't convinced that
Josh McDaniels would finish the
summer as the head coach of the
Denver Broncos; now they may
never let him leave.
The 33 year-old coach was
replacing a Denver legend in Mike
Shanahan. Shanahan, a two-time
Super Bowl champion, won 138
games for the Denver Broncos in his
14 years as the Broncos head coach.
The announcement that Shanahan
would be replaced was a shock to
fans, but even more of a shock was
with who, and his age. But it wasn't
just the shoes that McDaniels had
to fill that were creating pressure
for him.
About the time he finished
signing his contract McDaniels
was on his way to running off the
franchise quarterback, Jay Cutler.
Cutler had only thrown for 4,500
yards, a franchise record, 24
touchdowns, and had one of the
best seasons for a quarterback in
the history of the Denver Broncos.
On top of this, Cutler was also
selected for the Pro Bowl.
It wouldn't be long before
Denver would be trading Cutler
for Kyle Orton. Orton hadn't just
been any quarterback, but one of
many storied sub par quarterbacks
to play for the Chicago Bears.
In a league dependent on solid
quarterback play to win, the Bears
were upgraded to Super Bowl-bound
and the Broncos sent to the
middle of the AFC west by all logical
predictions.
In his first big move as a
head coach McDaniels had run
off one of the franchise's best
quarterbacks and was finding his
fan support to be eroding. Then, just
when it seemed like things couldn't
get worse for McDaniels and the
Broncos, they found themselves
in conflict with their best offensive
player, Brandon Marshall. It looked
as though Marshall wanted to
follow the Cutler trail out of
Denver. Soon Broncos fans would
be watching him punt balls in
practice, bat balls down, and jog
through drills. Marshall ended up
suspended and expectations for
the upcoming season once again
dropped.
It must have seemed like
the end of the world for Broncos
fans. First their successful coach,
Shanahan, gets fired, then they
lose Cutler and Marshall is
wanting out. The season felt like
a lost cause, but five games in the
Broncos are undefeated. Their fans
have forgotten Cutler and forgiven
Marshall and McDaniels. Against
all odds and expert predictions the
Broncos have somehow emerged
as an elite team.
The Broncos haven't just
done this against scrub teams.
They have won games against the
Cincinnati Bengals (4-1), Cleveland.
Browns (1-4), Oakland
Raiders (1-4), Dallas Cowboys (3-
2), and New England Patriots (3-2).
Not only are McDaniels and the
Broncos winning but they are doing
it with Kyle Orton and most of the
same team that won and lost eight
games last year. Orton, through
five games, has a quarterback
rating higher than Cutler. While
Cutler has a quarterback rating of
89, Orton has a rating of nearly 98.
Additionally, Cutler has thrown five
interceptions and Orton has yet to
throw one. On top of the wins and
Orton's success, McDaniels has
Marshall back, happy and playing
well.
The Broncos, by any
measure, are a much better team
this year. Most experts predicted
a team that won eight with Cutler
to win less with Orton - and for
good reason. There is really no
explanation for the success. Sure,
there have been several key
additions, such as Brian Dawkins
and Correll Buckhalter, but that
doesn't explain this start. This is
a team that inexplicably is playing
better at every position this year\
than they were last year, even
with an apparent downgrade at
quarterback. A defense that got
shredded last year is now shutting
down prolific offensive machineTh
can't explain it with anything other
than Josh McDaniels. This guy has
turned around what appeared to
an inevitable train wreck in Denver
and now fans are praising hirn(1'
the second coming.
The season is far from over
and the Broncos still have a long,
hard schedule. In the upcoming
weeks they will face the Charger/
Ravens, Steelers, Giants, Colts, and
Eagles. These teams were all in
the playoffs last year and by most
measures, much better teams
than the Broncos. I don't know,
and won't predict, how long
Broncos can keep this undefeated
streak going, but I do know that
they have proven a great deal
through five games.
After beating his forn-team,
the Patriots, McDaniels
has a record that Shanahan could
only achieve once in his successful
career. I'm not a fan, in fact, the
Broncos are one of my least favorite
teams, but even I can recognize a
great coach.
20
By MSUB ATHLETICS
For The Retort
Senior Day (Photos by MSUB Athletics)
SPORTS
Both Men's and Women's Soccer Shutout
Rocky Mountain College
Two goals by Kari Foreman
propelled the Montana State
> women's soccer team to
a 4-0 shutout of Rocky Mountain
College Wednesday afternoon at
Wendy's Field on the Rocky campus.
With the win, the Yellowjackets
improved to 8-4-1 overall and
7-regained the Rimrock Cup. The
Battlin' Bears fell to 3-8 on the year.
"I thought we played a
complete game from start to finish,
MSUB head coach Don Trentham
id. "We looked good in the
attack, good in the back and our
corners were spot on today."
The Yellowjackets
dominated the game from start to
iish as MSUB outshot Rocky 20-7
and 13-4 in shots on goal. MSUB
tied a season-high with 10 corner
kicks and scored two goals off of
them.
Foreman led the way with
o goals and tallied her fourth
game-winner of the year tying the
school record for game-winners in
a season with Ally Stroup (2005 and
2006) and Margot-Merrill-Johnson
_s 301). She had four shots and
three on goal. Freshman Jaucelyn
Richter tallied two assists on the
day and senior Chelsea Libby added
one assist. Richter led the team
Afjth five shots and four on goal.
The Yellowjackets got on
the board as Foreman beat former
Yellowjacket goalkeeper, Brittany
Knudtzon, as Knudtzon attempted
to make a play on the ball and
oreman moved past her for an
easy shot on the open net for a 1-0
lead.
Freshman Jennifer Larsen
tallied her eighth score of the year
she received a nice corner kick
from Libby and headed it in from
the top of the 18 for a 2-0 lead at
the 20:55 mark. Less than three
minutes later, Foreman tallied her
second goal of the game as she
received a pass from Richter on the
right side of the post for the goal
and a 3-0 lead.
Five minutes into the
second half, freshman Andrea
Baytaluke scored on a floater off a
short corner kick from the left side
of the 18 for a commanding 4-0
lead.
MSUB goalkeeper, Jordan
Fenwick, tallied four saves in
her second shutout of the year.
Knudtzon had nine saves and four
goals against in a losing effort. Rocky
was led by two shots on goal from
Kirsty Montignani. MSUB had 19
players play in the game with nine
different players recording shots.
The Yellowjackets' other shutout
this season was a 4-0 neutral site
win over Minnesota-Crookston
Sept. 13, at the University of Mary.
With the win, MSUB
improved to 10-7-1 all-time versus
Rocky and 6-5-1 in the Rimrock
Cup. The Yellowjackets avenged
a 3-2 overtime loss to Rocky last
season at Yellowjacket Field in the
Seventh Annual Rimrock Cup.
"We were disappointed we
lost last year and without a doubt,
the players wanted to get the cup
back to MSUB today," Trentham
said.
The Yellowjackets return
home to battle Carroll College Friday
at 4 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field.
MSUB then returns to conference
action next week at Seattle Pacific
and at Western Washington in a
pair of key conference matchups.
A second half hat trick by
senior Sam Charles propelled the
Montana State Billings men's soccer
team to a 4-0 victory over Rocky
Mountain College on Senior Day at
Yellowjacket Field. With the win
the Yellowjackets improved to 10-
3-2 on the year, marking the third
consecutive season that MSUB
has reached double-digit victories,
which is a school record.
"We were excellent in the
second half today," head coach Dan
McNally said. "Rocky worked hard
defensively and, until we got our
first goal, it was a good local rival-ry."
It was the first regular sea-son
meeting with Rocky in school
history as RMC added men's soccer
as an intercollegiate sport this year.
Prior to the game, six se-niors
who are playing in their final
season were honored. Zach Yeager,
Sander Tollefson, Jarred Weisen,
Jeremy DeHerrera, Tom Milroy and
Charles will leave MSUB as the win-ningest
class in school history and
are 33-15-3 in the last three years
and are 38-26-5 over their careers
with a minimum of three games
left this season.
"I am really proud of my
seniors," McNally added. "They
mean so much to the program and
to me. It was great to see their par-ents
at the game, but unfortunately
Sam's parents weren't able to make
the trip from England. He wanted
to dedicate his three goals to his
parents for making it possible for
him to attend college in America."
Charles' hat trick is his first
since Sept. 8, 2008, in a 3-1 win
over the University of Mary. He
now has four for his career in the
GNAC to lead the school and con-ference
record books. Charles
scored the first goal of the game on
a penalty kick as he was fouled in
the box in the 55th minute. It was
Charles' third made penalty kick of
the season and he now is 15 for his
career. In addition, it was Charles'
seventh game winner of the year
and 22nd of his career.
Less than three minutes lat-er,
Charles put the Yellowjackets up
2-0 on a beautiful pass and shoot
as he hooked up with Chris Andre
for the score. It was Andre's team-leading
eighth assist of the season.
Rocky didn't have a shot in
the first half but had a real good
scoring opportunity in the second
as it scored a goal, but prior to the
goal Rocky was called offside to
nullify the score.
Charles scored his third goal
in the 87th minute on assists from
James Henry and Weisen. With
just over a minute left, Weisen tal-lied
his fourth score of the year as
he took a DeHerrera pass and beat
two defenders for the score at the
88:53 mark. It was DeHerrera's
eighth assist of the year tying him
with Andre for the team lead.
MSUB dominated the game
in all facets. MSUB outshot the
Bears 16-1 and 10-0 in shots on
goal. The Yellowjackets had a sea-son-
high 12 corner kicks on the day.
Charles led the team with six shots
and four on goal and the three
scores as he tied his own school re-cord
for 19 goals in a season.
Tollefson recorded his sec-ond
consecutive shutout and im-proved
to 3-0 on the year. He tal-lied
the shutout in a 3-0 win at
Northwest Nazarene Tuesday. Sat-urday
was the Yellowjackets' sixth
shutout of the year.
The Yellowjackets conclude
the home portion of the schedule
next week at they return to Great
Northwest Athletic Conference ac-tion
Thursday, at 12:30 p.m. versus
Saint Martin's and Saturday ver-sus
Western Washington at 3 p.m.
both at Yellowjacket Field. The Yel-lowjackets
are in the thick of the
conference championship race as
it looks like it will come down to
the wire. MSUB then concludes the
regular season Nov. 4 at Rocky in a
makeup game from Oct. 11.
21
SPORTS
Yellowjackets Defeat Cross Town Rival
control until midway through the
set. Trailing 18-17, the Yellowjackets
got a spark from Crotteau who
recorded back-to-back spikes and
then received a gift from the Bears
with an attacking error by Jessica
Overstreet. At 22-20, MSUB closed
the door on the set with kills by
Crotteau, Hannah Johnson and
Boe.
Rocky tied the match with
Currently, Lutz is fourth
in the conference in blocks per
set with 0.99 but is third in total
blocks with 89. She also ranks sixth
in hitting percentage with a .266
average and 115 kills.
For the team, Lutz is first in
blocks with her average and total
and ranks fourth in kills per set with
1.28. She also ranks third in service
aces with 0.21 per set and 19 on
the season.
The Yellowjackets return
home this week for a match-up
with second place Seattle Pacific on
Thursday at Alterowitz Gymnasium,
starting at 7 p.m. MSUB handed
SPU its first loss of the conference
season back on Oct. 21, in a five-set
thriller, 3-2.
Player of the Week
By MSUB ATH TICS
By MSUB ATHLETICS
Of The Retort Staff
In front of the largest crowd
this season, Montana State Billings
used a steady attack and balanced
scoring to defeat its cross town rival,
Rocky Mountain College, 3-1 (25-
20, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21) Tuesday
night at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
"Looking at the last match
between us, we were steadier this
time, emotionally and physically,"
head coach Steve Smith said. "We
were able to keep our composure
throughout the match, even though
they kept coming at us. We beat
a really a talented team tonight
and I'm just really happy with the
overall result."
Devon Crotteau set the
pace for the Yellowjackets, using 16
kills and 13 digs for another double-double.
Jen Boe also recorded the
double with 14 kills and 14 digs,
while libero, Jill Trabing, recorded
a match-high 18 digs. Hillary
Morrison ended the night with 43
assists and 11 digs and Melissa
Porter had six blocks.
The first set got off to an
ugly start as neither team took
For The Retort Staff
Montana State Billings
freshman middle blocker, Jody
Lutz, was named Great Northwest
Athletic Conference Player of
the Week, the conference office
announced Monday. It is her first
weekly conference honor of the
season and third for the volleyball
program this season.
The Dugald, Manitoba,
Canada native recorded 13 kills
and 10 blocks, nearly doubling
her season set average in both
categories, helping lead the
Yellowjackets to consecutive 3-0
sweeps on the road at Saint Martin's
and Western Oregon. Lutz had five
blocks in both matches as MSUB
controlled the net, out blocking its
opponents, 21-11.
a service ace from Morgan Moss.
Leading 2-1 in the matel --;
the Rocky fans tried to get behind
their team, but the Yellowjacket
faithful were there to match the
enthusi4sm. As the fourth set
got under way, MSUB once agair-jumped
'out to a 9-4 lead after a
kill from Johnson. Rocky would tie
the match at 11-11 but was unable
to take the lead in the set. Hitting
just• 488 for the set, MSUB was
able to hold Rocky to a .020 hitting
percentage and closed out the
match on a Boe kill and an attacking
error by Marni Magnuson.
Rocky (15-7) was led by
Jillian Stanek's 10 kills, while AshIc4 -
Welborn finished the match with a
team-high 17 digs and seven kills.
Kristin Barott led the team with 33
assists. As a team, the Battlin' Bears
hit .103 for the match with 45 kill
71 digs and 14 blocks.
MSUB (11-8, 4-3 GNAC) hit
.175 as a team and finished the
match with 55 kills, 80 digs, six
service aces and 11 blocks.
a victory in the second set, 'but
after the break MSUB regained
its composure and started off the
set leading 6-3. Rocky kept the
set close but with the score at 17-
17, an attacking error from Sara
Brunner gave the Yellowjackets the
momentum. Kills by Jody Lutz and
Porter spread the lead to three,
21-18. The set ended with a pair of
kills from Porter and Boe as well as
VikingsSweep Yel-lowjackets,
By MSUB ATHLETICS
For The Retort Staff
Western Washington's
attack was superb but its defense
was better, hitting .314 and coming
up with 49 digs and six blocks,
sweeping Montana State Billings
(25-22, 25-20, 25-18) Saturday
evening at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
The Yellowjackets were
led by Devon Crotteau who
„accumulated 15 kills and nine digs
with a .306 hitting percentage,
while Jen Boe had 10 kills as did
Melissa Porter, who also hit .333 for
the match. Jill Trabing had a match-high
15 digs as Hillary Morrison
accounted for 37 of the 38 assists.
The Vikings came out and
set the tone early, extending the
lead by as much as seven at 17-10.
The Yellowjackets tried to mount a
comeback, reeling off six-straight
points to close the lead to one
with kills from Boe and Porter and
numerous hitting errors by the
Vikings. MSUB found itself tied
at 21 with Western before Bailey
Jones recorded one of her 10 kills
on the night to give the Vikings the
lead for good.
After being tied at 12-12,
Western used a small four point run
to take the lead and finished off the
set with a kill from Emily Jepsen.
The Vikings hit .296 in the set while
holding MSUB to .111 hitting.
The third set was all
Western, building an eight point
lead early on and managing to keei.,
MSUB at arm's length distance to
take the set and the match. Western
hit .385 in the set, recording 18 kills
against three errors.
The win moved the Viking
to 14-7 on the year and 7-3 in
the Great Northwest Athletic
Conference. It was the third-straight
win for the Vikings and keeps them
in the hunt for the league title.
They were led by Jepsen's 14
and five digs. Also contributing
was Marlayna Geary with 11 kills
and seven digs, while Allison Gotz
collected 14 digs as Laurie Yearout
recorded 39 assists.
MSUB fell to 11-10 on the
season and 4-5 in the conference.
As a team, the Yellowjackets hit
.174 with 40 kills and recorded 47
digs and two blocks. -\
Next up, the Yellowjackets
will travel to Lacey, Washington
for a match-up with Saint Martin's
on Thursday, Oct. 22, starting at 7
p.m. They continue the road trip z
two days later, Oct. 24, taking on
Western Oregon, in Monmouth, at
7 p.m.
22
1
SPORTS
Cross Country Braves Freezing Weather,
Turns in Top Times of Season
By MSUB ATHLETICS
Of The Retort Staff
The weather was cold by
the competition heated up at
e Yellowjacket Invitational held
at Riverfront Park on Saturday
morning. The Montana State
Billings cross country team got
some of its top times from this
eason despite the freezing cold
weather and turned in great team
finishes as well.
The MSUB women received
seven personal best performances
end all seven scoring runners
finished the 3.1 mile course in less
than 20 minutes. Lisa Minnehan
once again led the Yellowjackets,
finishing fourth overall in a time
of 18:50, 48 seconds behind the
yvinner, Wendy O'Lexey, from Black
Hills State.
"The women once again
made a lot of progress this week,"
said head coach Dave Coppock.
time of 19:59.
The women's race was
won by O'lexey in a time of 18:02,
finishing just behind her ww as Amber
Watson of Rocky Mountain College
with an 18:08. O'lexey's teammate,
Erin Curran, finished just ahead of
Minnehan in third with a time of
18:33, while Leigh Anne Whiteside
of BHSU rounded out the top-five
with a 19:08.
With its five top runners
finishing in the top-15, MSUB
captured second in the team race,
recording 47 points, just 13 points
behind Black Hills State (34). The
X"sii4 University of Great Falls finished
third (98) in the team standings,
followed by Carroll College (99),
Dickinson State (113), Rocky
Mountain College (130), South
Dakota Tech (180) and Flathead
Valley (240).
On the men's side, MSUB
finished fourth in the team
standings with 118 points. Daniel
Lombardi led the Yellowjackets
with 14th place finish and a time of
26:38. He was joined in the top-20
by Mark Bolt who completed the
frozen course in a time of 26:49.
"We had a great
performance from our men once
again and saw a few personal bests
from them as well," Coppock said.
"After running on a couple of tough
courses, I think the men were ready
to run some fast times on a flatter
course. If they run like this at the
conference meet, they could sneak
in a really great finish."
Tyson Vanderby was the
third Yellowjacket to cross the
line, recording a time of 27:11 for
a 29th place finish overall. He was
followed by Taylor Canfield (27:11),
Travis Hutchinson (27:41), Travis
Buttelman (27:58) and Tucker
Shuler (28:54).
In a very exciting men's
race, Mark Mazza of Black Hills
State edged teammate Birch
Haraden for the victory. Mazza
crossed the line in a time of 25:27
with Haraden finishing in 25:29. Jed
Morgan of BHSU was third (25:33),
while Cullen Cantwell of Great Falls
finished fourth (25:34) and Sammy
Chavez of Dickinson rounded out
the top-five with a 25:58.
Black Hills took the team
title in the men's race as well,
finishing with 27 points, ahead of
Great Falls (71), Dickinson St. (96),
MSUB, South Dakota Tech (120),
Rocky (133), Carroll (146) and
Flathead Valley (245).
The morning began with an
open 5K for the public. The race
saw close to 100 participants turn
out for the 9 a.m. start.
The Yellowjacket
Invitational was the final tune-up
meet for MSUB before the highly
competitive Great Northwest
Athletic Conference meet on
Saturday, Oct. 24, hosted by Central
Washington. That meet will be run
in Yakima, Washington starting at
10 a.m.
"We're still setting up nicely for the
conference meet in a few weeks.
We've ran for six consecutive
weekends, so having the off
week next weekend should help
us heading into that race. I was
extremely happy with the way the
girls ran; to get seven personal bests
in this weather was extraordinary.
I think we're peaking at the right
time and we may be able to sneak
up on a couple of teams."
Joining Minnehan in the
top-10 were teammates Mary
Owen and Leah Thompson. Owen
finished ninth with a 19:19 and
Thompson was right behind her
in tenth with a 19:20. Following
closely were Mykel Ler (19:32)
and Sarah Jackson (19:43) who
recorded top-15 finishes, while
Katie Thiel took 18th with a 19:55
and Kristen Yeley finished 20th in a
Two Montana Basketball Standouts Com-mit
to Yellowjacket Men's Basketball
By MSUB ATHLETICS
Of The Retort Staff
Montana State Billings head
men's basketball coach, George
eifer, announced Tuesday that
Tyler Tabbert and Jason Tanascu
have committed to play for the
Yellowjackets this season, brining
the 2009 class to a total of seven.
Tabbert, a former Billings
vVest High School standout, returns Ihome after playing the past two
seasons at Miles Community
College where he played baseball.
He is a 6-4 guard who was a
vo-time letterwinner for West
!- averaging 14 points per game and
six rebounds per game. He helped
lead West to the state title in 2007,
which was its first state title since
1981. Tabbert earned all-state
accolades that season.
"Tyler had numerous
opportunities to play either
baseball or basketball coming out
of West High School," Pfeifer said.
"We are very excited to have him
in our program. He is a big guard
who was very well coached in high
school. I believe he is really focused
and committed to basketball and
we really like his upside and what
he can bring to the program."
Tanascu, a 6-1 guard from
Gardner, Mont., was a three-time
all-conference selection and an
all-state selection in high school
averaging 15 points, 7.3 assists
and 5.8 rebounds per game. He
played a key role in the Bruins'
state runner-up championship run
in 2006. He also was named to the
Montana Class C all-state team.
He is transferring to MSUB
from Carroll College and will have
two years of eligibility for the
Yellowjackets. At Carroll, he helped
lead the Saints to a 20-7 record this
past season. As a redshirt freshman
in 2007-2008, he had a knack for
putting the ball in the basket as he
shot 61 percent from the field and
66 percent from beyond the arc in
18 games.
"We learned that Jason
was available from Coach Pat
Hansen at Laurel High School, who
coached Jason until his junior year
at Gardiner," Pfeifer said. "Coach
Hansen was passionate when
talking about the energy and effort
he played with on top of his skill
level. The benefit for us and Jason
is he is a combo guard and can play
both the off guard and point guard
positions. We see Jason primarily
as the off guard, but the fact he has
had worn the hat of point guard
maximizes his ability on the court."
Tabbert and Tanasu join
Joel Barndt of Billings Central High
School, Tyrone Williams of Miles
Community College, DeAndre
Chambers of Western Oklahoma
State, Lasha Parghalava from the
University of Hawaii and Andrew
Hickman of Woodward, Okla.
23
SPORTS
Yellowjackets Silence Wolves, 3-0
By MSUB ATHLETICS
For The Retort
Montana State University
Billings controlled the match from
start to finish, sweeping Western
Oregon University (25-22, 25-23,
25-20), on its way to moving to
6-5 in conference play and 13-
10 overall on Saturday evening,
October 24, at the New PE Building
on the campus of Western Oregon
University.
"We had a pretty good
performance overall tonight,"
said head coach Steve Smith. "We
played a lot better on offense and
defense throughout the night but
I think the key was that we made
fewer mistakes than Western
Oregon did."
The Yellowjackets received
double-double efforts from Jen
Boe and Devon Crotteau to lead the
team. Boe had a team-high hitting
percentage of .433 after 14 kills
in 30 attempts with just one error
and a team-high in digs with 22.
Crotteau led the team with 16 kills
and had 13 digs, while Jill Trabing
came up with 20 digs and Jody Lutz
had a match-high five blocks.
Montana State University
Billings fell behind early in the
first set as the Wolves got out to a
4-2 lead. The Yellowjackets pulled
even in the match with a Hannah
Johnson kill, 4-4. The score went
back and forth throughout most of
the set as neither team was able
to take control. Western Oregon
University tied the match at 19-19
with a kill from Laura Sakala, but
Montana State University Billings
was able to close out the set on a
trio of kills from Crotteau, one from
Melissa Porter and a service ace
from Jill Trabing.
Leading 1-0, Montana State
Billings looked to take control of
the match in set two, but the set
was much like the first, back and
forth throughout. At 18-18, MSUB
received a timely kill from Boe that
gave the Yellowjackets the lead for
good. The Yellowjackets were able
to take control of the match with
by shutting out the second set with
a kill from Morrison and Johnson
as well as getting help from the
Wolves with an attacking error.
Montana State University
Billings trailed 4-3 to start the third,
but after tying the match at 4-4,
MSUB would not trail the rest of
the set and opened up a 15-9 lead
behind clutch defense and accurate
hitting. Western Oregon University
tried to mount a comeback late in
the set, but again the Yellowjacket
offense put the clamps down and
closed out the set and match with
kills Lutz and Crotteau.
The Wolves were led by
Sakala with 11 kills and a .476
hitting average, while Danielle
English came up with 21 digs and
Amy Herron collected 30 assists. As
a team, Western Oregon University
hit .171 and collected 63 digs and
recorded four blocks. They fall to
7-15 on the season and 4-7 in the
conference.
The win gives Montan'"a,
State University Billings its first
win in Monmouth in school history
and is now 2-6 all-time against
the Wolves. The Yellowjackets
hit .238 as a team, recording 7:
digs and collecting seven blocks in
total. MSUB is now on a two game
winning streak and have six-straight
set wins.
The Yellowjacket spikers
return to the court Thursday,
October 29, at home against Seattle
Pacific University starting at 7 pm.
Montana State University Billings
won the first match-up with the
Falcons in five sets and will look for,
the season sweep.
MSU Billings Student Challenges
Beartooth Monolith
By Kalan Horton
For The Retort
"It's like running a marathon
with a bag over your head" said
Political Science major Alan Lamb
when asked about the physical
difficulty of scaling Montana's
highest peak.
A combination of Sherpa
strength, cardiovascular endurance,
dry socks, and protein bars were all
factors contributing to the success
of Kalan's climb last July to scale
the peak. "Most people don't know
difficult it is to move at altitude
above 12,000 feet" said Lamb.
At over 12,800 feet, Granite
Peak has shared a fair amount of
rescues, deaths, and successful
summits over its climbing history.
Lying in the heart of the Beartooth
Wilderness, getting to base camp
involves a 13 mile hike over 5,000
feet of elevation gain. Granite Peak
is arguably the second hardest
highpoint to climb in the United
States, just behind Mount McKinley
in Alaska.
This high altitude adventure
starts just outside of Fishtail,
Montana, in West Rosebud Canyon.
The popular day hike to Mystic Lake
is the standard starting point for
the climb. A 3 mile, 3000 foot hike
up the finely named "Switchbacks
from Hell," will leave you with the
final task of navigating the 4 mile
Frozen to Death Plateau, one of
Montana's highest plateaus, before
you are greeted by mountain
goats in the luxurious rock shelters
scattered around base camp.
With the easy part
accomplished, all that is left is
a 10-hour summit day climb
beginning in often below zero
temperatures at roughly 5:00
a.m. that leads you crossing a
snow bridge, navigating car size
boulders, and climbing vertical
cliffs with exposure that would
make any graduate admissions
test seem like a walk in the park. A
successful team will be left with a
feeling of accomplishment, severe
dehydration, and a view to die for,
almost.
You may be wondering why
anyone in their right mind would
want to attempt this climb, only
then to turn around and repeat the
trip in reverse. So why did Alan,
a seemingly normal, sane MSUB
student gear up for this alpine
adventure? Alan responded, "I
wanted to see if it was as hard as
people say it is. And trust me, it
was."
SteepWorld owner and
Granite Peak climber Jim Rott
says, "This should not be your
first mountain because only a high
degree of skill from an experienced
climbing team can only assure a
safe trip." Rott suggests beginning
climbing in a gym, where you can
be assured a safe environment
before taking your skills outside.
When asked if he would
ever go back, Lamb responded, "I
don't think so. It takes a certain
breed." Lamb suggests that anyone
interested in mountaineering
should first take rock climbing
classes to learn about ropes and
anchors.
Anyone interested in
climbingshould contactSteepWorld
climbing gym for more information
24

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These materials are primarly for scholarly and personal research. Their production is governed by the fair use clause of the copyright act. Prior to any commerical use written permission must be obtained from the MSU Billings Special Collections.

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MONTANA
STATE UNIVERSITY
BILLINGS
Access & Excellence etairet The Voice of Montana State University Billings
2008 - 2009
Outstanding Literary
Student Organization Award
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2009 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2
very enjoyable to children, couples,
groups and individuals.
Most danced 'til they
dropped, including a couple who
made a very good attempt at
jitterbugging, a man doing the
classic "white boy dance" a mother
dancing with her two small children
and the head bangers in the
pseudo-mosh pit, which was safely
contained and out of the way.
The Beach Pickers, a local
band, played what can only be
described as good of down home
music. Following the bands a eulogy
we have the right to claim money
from them... in the past they have
caused harm to the population
[and] the goal is to seek money for
the problems we have had."
Under the umbrella of
the Tobacco Damages and Health
Care Costs Recovery Act passed by
Canada's Supreme Court in 2008,
British Colombia was allowed to
sue major tobacco corporations
for the financial strain side effects
of smoking has placed on Canada's
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
The BillingsTunie Awards are
this town's version of The Grammy's
for local artists. Yellowstone Valley
Brewing Company, located at 2123
1st Avenue North, hosted the event
lasting from 4pm to 10pm and
charged a two dollar admission fee.
The fenced-off area featured a gate
watcher, ample seating and tables,
two very clean porta-potties and an
area for dancing in front of the flat
bed trailer that had been converted
into a stage. Parking was available
on the street or a neighboring
lot. Yellowstone Valley Brewing
Company provided root beer
and water while the MSU Billings
branch of Chi Alpha Theta supplied
burgers and brats.
The timing as well as the
enclosed location rendered this
event both child- and pet-friendly;
and both kids and dogs took
advantage of the opportunity to
run and play. As a whole, the event
had the feeling of a barbeque at an
extended family reunion and was
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
According to the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation (CBC),
the city of Ottawa is moving closer
to filing a 30-50 billion dollar
lawsuit against 14 major tobacco
corporations, namely Imperial
Tobacco, Canada's largest tobacco
manufacturer and distributor.
Quebec Health Minister Yves
Bolduc says of the lawsuit: "I think
was sung for Jim Freego, a local
musician who recently passed away.
The presentation of the awards
went smoothly and without any
hang-ups - no problems resembling
the Kanye West incident at this
year's MTV Video Music Awards.
Best Drummer went to Marco
Castro; Best Metal Band went to
End Ever; Best Percussionist went
to Matt Devett; Best Live Venue for
All Ages went to Yellowstone Valley
Brewing Company; Best Live Venue
for 21 and Over went to the F.O.E.
(Fraternal Order of Eagles, located
at 526 Laurie Lane in the Billings
heights); Best Instrument Store
went to Hansen Music (located
at 1819 Grand Avenue); and Best
CD Store went to Ernie November
(located at 919 Grand Avenue).
After the awards
presentation End Ever retook the
stage for the rest of the evening.
See Tunies on page 7
general health care system.
Currently motions to bring the case
to trial are underway, and if BC finds
legal success, it is not unreasonable
to imagine other Canadian
provinces will follow shortly. A
spokesman for Imperial Tobacco
calls the lawsuit "hypocritical",
since the Canadian government
does not attempt to regulate other
industries that may be harmful to
private citizens, such as alcohol and
gambling.
A Night at the Tunies
Some of the local bands playing at the Tunies. (Photos by Matt Langman)
Canada Versus Big Tobacco
Visit us online at msubretort.org
P-1
1500 University Drive SUB ASIvISUB
Billings, MT 59101
Editorial: 406-425-1807or 617-990-7209
Advertising: 406-425-1807
Fax: 406-652-2981
E-mail: msubretort@gmail.com
msubretort.org
RETORT STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Steven Pittenger
Business Manager Bailey Martin
Faculty Adviser VACANT
Layout Editor Heidi Leritz
Ads Manager Bailey Martin
Copy Editor Jennifer Otis
Web Editor Matt Squires
News Editor Mike Schrage
A&E Editor Lou Donaldson
Sports Editor Rob Barnosky
Creativity Editor Kyla Monett
Opinion Editor Jen Gross
Photographer Matt Langman
Cartoonist VACANT
Columnist Candi La Fleur
GUIDELINES & POLICIES
The Retort encourages the submission of Letters
To The Editor. Letters must be under 250 words in length
and include a name, signature, and phone number. The
Retort reserves the right to edit for space and possible
libel. Letters should deal with subject matter relevant to
the students, faculty, and staff of MSU Billings. The Retort
is published monthly. Letters must be submitted by the
Friday after the most recent issue date.
The Retort is made possible in part by student fees
allocated by ASMSUB.
The Publications Board of ASMSUB advises The
Retort, leaving content decisions to the editors. Opinions
expressed in The Retort are not necessarily those of its
members, the university, students, not student, state, or
federal governments.
Retort The Voice of Montana State University Billings
For those of you who were anx-iously
awaiting the next issue of
The Retort (all two of you), you
may have noticed that this issue
was a little late hitting the stands,
which marks a first for us here at
The Retort. The reasons are unim-portant,
but let me just say to ev-eryone
that I'm truly sorry. Usually
at this point I would take the time
to tell you about what's going on at
the paper, but for my editorial this
time I felt it was important to talk
about what isn't going on. I look
around this campus, and I see so
much potential and possibility and
I've often wondered why we aren't
unleashing it. The Retort has some
great writers and staff but I have to
be honest, I can't for the life of me
figure out why more people aren't
getting involved. Sure we may not
be the biggest coolest paper out
there, but we provide a voice and
forum for students to express ideas
and views and in my opinion that
alone should send people flock-ing
to their keyboards to sound-off
about something they're passion-ate
about. Now, I know this is a sys-temic
problem, that is, not unique
to The Retort. I think we need more
people challenging the apathy and
indifference here on this campus.
We have too many people making
too many lame excuses about why
they can't get involved and we just
accept it. I'm not asking for much,
heck I'm not even asking for just
The Retort, but you won't convince
me there is someone out there who
can't give an hour a week of their
time. It may not seem like much but
if everyone on this campus (faculty
and staff included) gave one hour
each week of their time to a proj-ect,
organization or cause we could
accomplish over 5000 hours worth
of work EACH WEEK! I'm tired of
people using children, school work,
or being tired in general as an ex-cuse.
Yes family and school are
important, and you certainly have
to make sure you take care of your-self
because it's unlikely someone
else will do that for you, but ONE
hour a week is very reasonable.
It may mean you have to shut off
the TV, or log out of WOW, or put
away the porn and/or beer, but is
that really so much to ask for? So
MSUB, I'm calling you out. I'm tell-ing
you collectively to get off your
back-side, find something you care
about and do it! To those of you
who are already involved and thos-/ —\
veterans, who have been for some
time, please allow me to extend
my deep thanks and appreciation
for the selfless work you do. Too
often you don't get the credit yo'
deserve and it can seem like no one
cares. I'm here to tell you however
that people do care, and people do
notice, and that the work you do
is invaluable. More directly how
ever, I'm asking people to write to
The Retort about things that your
passionate about, things that piss
you off, things you think should be
given props or just anything at all.
We as a newspaper really, honestb;,
and truly, want to hear from YOU.
Also, just for the record The Retort
as an organization is open to criti-cism
as well. If you think we are
doing something wrong, or if you-have
an opinion about an article,
let us know. Don't think we won't
publish something just because it's
critical of us. So where does that
leave us? Well hopefully, one or
two of you will read this and light
a fire (figuratively, NOT literally)
under yourselves or some friends.
Hopefully those friends will in turn
do the same, and hopefully we can
create a culture of service and pas
sion on our campus that gets peo-ple
motivated, and inspires them
to stay that way on a regular basis.
Until next time, take care of your-selves
and each other, and let your
passions soar.
Steven Pittenger
Editor-In-Chief
LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR
2
Dorothea Cromley, left, professor of music at Montana State University Billings, has been working with Jason Suchan
since he arrived at the university as a freshman out of Billings West High School in 2005. On October 10, Suchan will be
the featured piano soloist at the "Bright Lights & Rising Stars" concert presented by the Billings Symphony Orchestra.
(Photo by MSU Billings News Services)
NEWS & CAMPUS LIFE
American Police Force Done
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
The Montana Attorney
General has elected to cease its
investigation into the operations
of the suspicious American Police
Force, an entity created presumably
to cash in on the still-vacant Hardin
Jail. Michael Hilton, the mysterious
head of the APF, has a lengthy
criminal background of convictions
of "fraud, larceny, breach of
contract and false pretenses."
according to the Billings Gazette.
Hilton,originallyhailingfrom
the Slavic country of Montenegro,
boasted of extensive government
contracting experience and brought
promises of economic stimulus for
the city of Hardin. Hardin had built
the 27-million-dollar detention
facility in hopes it would stimulate
the desolate economy. After an APF
name change, Mercedes SUVs, and
a retooling of their website, APF
withdrew their request to operate
the prison earlier this month after
several individuals supposedly
inside APF's inner circle distanced
themselves from the project.
The fallout has caused
chaos within the administrative
board of the project, leading to
resignation of Two Rivers Authority
director shortly after the extent of
the questionable nature of Hilton
and APF became apparent.
Striking the Right Chords: Committed to
Following his Passion
• By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
Jason Suchan's first
encounter with a piano was one of
-hose moments that seem destined
for a Hollywood screenplay: The
precocious youngster with a gift
for music... a resurrected player
piano... the subsequent ignition of
is passion.
Yet the Montana State University
Billings senior's story is far from
over. His true-life story is still
unfolding and the next stanza
features the Billings Symphony
rchestra.
Suchan appeared as the
guest soloist with the BSO for the
Saturday, October 10th "Bright
Lights & Rising Stars" concert at
1Iberta Bair Theater. Concert time
is 7:30 pm.
This will be Suchan's first
appearance with the orchestra as
a featured soloist, but the story
arc follows what has turned into a
• continued passion for music and
the arts.
According to Suchan, it all
started with an old player piano
that his father had purchased.
• cle was about four years old
and the old upright piano was
sitting in the basement of the
family home. One afternoon, as
he ventured downstairs to check
' Things out, a dust-speckled beam
of sunlight beckoned him toward
the instrument for a . loser look. He
liked the feel of it, and the sounds
that came from it.
• He was hooked.
Soon he was taking piano
lessons from his grandmother and
getting involved in band in school.
He became accomplished on the
trumpet and trombone. He was an
• accomplished performer through
high school and when he graduated
from Billings West High School in
2005, he set his sights on studying
with Dorothea Cromley at MSU
Billings.
"I've always been interested
in the piano" said Suchan, whose
soft-spoken nature and easy smile
belie the fiery passion that comes
out in his performances. "But I
really got serious about the piano
when I got here."
These days, he's seriously
committed to his October 10th
performance. He'll play Liszt's
"Piano Concerto No. 1" which
has its share of flash, fervor and
delicate interludes.
"I'm real excited to work
with Anne (BSO director Anne
Harrigan)" Suchan said. "I want the
performance to be really good."
Cromley, who has worked with
some of the most talented young
pianists in Montana over her
career, said she has appreciated
Suchan's commitment to following
his passion, especially in a state
that has so few male role models as
budding artists.
He's had his share of
"normal" college challenges over
his career. Both laugh at the first
time he neglected to attend a music
theory class. Late hours working to
load planes at the airport and extra
sleep caused the misstep, but that
was the last time.
"Young men in the arts
are so rare here" said Cromley.
"Finding someone like Jason who is
so normal and who loves the arts is
amazing."
Just as important, Cromley
said, is the message Jason's success
poses for music education in public
schools.
"I just want to show our
public schools 'Look what you did
with Jason!' It's phenomenal" she
said.
A piano performance
major who will graduate in May
2010 and has his sights set on
graduate education, Suchan said
he encourages young musicians
to persevere in their studies.
Frustrations are normal, he said,
but in the end, the pursuit of your
passion pays off.
"I think it's really important
to do what you love" he said.
To find out more about
the Billings Symphony Orchestra's
"BrightLights&RisingStars"concert,
go to www.billingssymphony.
o rg/09-10 co nce rts_a ncl_events/
oct1Obright_stars.html. To find out
more about the music education
program at MSU Billings, call 657-
2350.
3
By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
NEWS &CAMPUS LIFE
Career Services Employer
Partnership
MI Employer kyrr.■44 Partnership
7/111 Program
MSU Billings Career Services
By CAREER SERVICES
For The Retort
The Employer Partnership
program at Career Services
began its second year on July 1st,
offering employers enhanced
visibility on campus and on the
web at www.msubillings.edu/
careers. Opportunities range from
recognition at career events and
sponsorship of Career Services
Student Advocates' scholarships to
hosting a table of students at the
annual Etiquette Business Dinner,
a networking and gourmet dining
experience.
"The Employer Partnership
program gives employers an
innovative way to differentiate and
brand their company on campus"
according to Patricia Reuss,
director of Career Services, "and
we're excited to introduce our six
2009-10 Partners: Cherry Creek
Radio, EideBailly, Yellowstone Boys
& Girls Ranch, EBMS, KPMG, and
St. Vincent Healthcare." Based on
evaluations from 2008-09 Partners,
Career Services has fine-tuned its
program to better meet employer
needs, offering them more
exposure at both COT and Senior
Campuses. Employer Partnerships
also have allowed Career Services
to hire marketing interns, Victoria
Fernandez Lorenzo-Arroyo (Fall
2008) and Xiaoyi Wang (Fall 2009),
whose expertise helps promote
both Career Services and its
Partners.
This year Cherry Creek
Radio has renewed its Platinum
Partnership and according to
Augie Aga, station manager, "The
Employer Partnership has been
better than I expected. Career
Services has gone above and
beyond as far as increasing our
visibility on campus and to the
public. It's definitely been a great
marketing investment." CCR
employs Ws, program directors,
on-air engineers, sales and office
assistants who demonstrate
"character, courage, commitment,
curiosity, and can use a calculator."
Exposure at MSUB helps CCR
introduce more new people to the
radio business, and Augie welcomes
students of all majors to check out
opportunities with the CCR team.
To learn how you can connect with
Employer Partners and the career
opportunities they offer, contact
Patricia Reuss at 657-1616 or email
careers@msubillings.edu
Walmart Makes Scholarship Donation at
MSU Billings
In case you missed the
news, Montana college students
interested in pursuing careers in
renewable or "green" energy fields
got a boost Wednesday when
Walmart donated $30,000 for
scholarships.
Joshua Phair, senior
manager and public affairs and
government relations manager
for Walmart's Rocky Mountain
Region in Denver, presented
Governor Brian Schweitzer with
the $30,000 check during a short
press conference at Montana State
University Billings. The money will
be used to fund fifteen Governor's
Best and Brightest Green Energy
Scholarships that will be available
at each campus of the Montana
Schweitzer, who
has implemented strong
energy-conservation
measures for state agencies
and has endorsed green
energy technology and
skills, said the donation fits
well with his goals.
"This donation will
help fifteen more Montana
students achieve the dream
of a college education"
Schweitzer said. "The clean
and green energy sector is
a booming industry and this
is a win-win for students
and businesses."
The governor added
that Walmart "recognizes
that there needs to be
investments" in clean and
green energy technology
and training so that
"students in Montana will
learn new skills for the
future."
Each campus in the
Montana University System
will get one Governor's Best
and Brightest Green Energy
University System. Scholarship. They are intended for C_Th
Phair said funding the students studying in a green energy
scholarships makes good business field and will be awarded for $1,000
sense and outreach sense for a year for two years.
Walmart. Dan Villa, the governor's
"Developing a skilled education policy advisor, said
green workforce is critical for the scholarship dollars could be
our business, for our suppliers available for distribution in the next
and - most importantly - for our several weeks though the Montana
customers" he said. Guaranteed Student Loan program.
Governor Brian Schwetizer, right, talks about the $30,000 scholarship donation made Wednesday at MSU Billings. At left is Joshua Phair, a
regional senior manager and public affairs representative from Walmart. (Photo by MSU Billings News Services)
4
NEWS & CAMPUS LIFE
Montana Court upholds Parental Rights for
> Homosexuals
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
Recently, the highest
legal authority in Montana ruled
in favor of a woman who was
seeking visitation rights to two
adopted children she cared for
within the confines of a same-sex
union. Barbara Mancini had
adopted the two children with the
intent of raising them with then-partner
Michelle Kulstad, and was
seeking sole custody following
the couple's dissolution of their
ten-year relationship. In 2008, a
Montana District Court upheld
Kulstad's visitation rights, and the
appeal went before the Supreme
Court earlier this month. Mancini,
who had since married a man
was seeking sole custody of the
two children, but was met with
disappointment.
The court reached a 6-1
verdict in favor of allowing
the Kulstad equal visitation rights
to the two children. According
to the Montana Supreme Court,
Kulstad was legally considered
a parent because the following
criteria was met:
• The person shows that he
or she provided for the day-to-day
physical and emotional needs of
a child by providing food, shelter,
clothing, care, education and
discipline;
• The child's adoptive/birth
parent allowed and intended for
the parent-child relationship to
develop; and
• It is in the child's best
interests to recognize and continue
the parent-child relationship.
The Montana branch of
the ACLU (American Civil Liberties
Union) called the decision "a
victory for families in all shapes,
sizes and colors.", and in adding
insult to injury ruled that Kulstad
was entitled to a "fair share of joint
property".
Judge Jay Nelson had the
following to say about the legal
precedent: ""I am convinced that
until our courts, as a matter of
law, accept homosexuals as equal
participants with heterosexuals
in our society, each person with
exactly the same civil and natural
rights, lesbian and gay citizens will
continue to suffer homophobic
discrimination."
The verdict was not without
its share of criticism, however.
According to the Missoulan, a
spokesman for the Montana
Family Foundation called the
court's decision and attempt to
"simply [bend] existing law to
reach a predetermined social
position. ... This is an egregious
decision." It will be interesting to
see the ramifications of such a hot
button legal precedent and how it
translates for the pro-gay marriage
camp.
MSUB Enrollment reaches 5000
['
/—
By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
MSUB marked another
milestone this semester as overall
headcount enrollment topped
5,000 students for the first time in
its history.
According to official 15th-day
data reported to the Office
of the Commissioner of Higher
Education, MSUB's enrollment is
5,041 students, a record for the
university. The full-time equivalent
(FTE) enrollment is 4,026.54, which
is 268.42 above Fall 2008 FTE.
Of the total headcount
enrollment, 3,635 are enrolled in
classes at the main campus and
1,406 are enrolled at the West End
COT. The COT enrollment also sets a
record.
"Reaching this landmark has
been a long time in the making and
a true team effort" said Dr. Ronald
Sexton, chancellor at MSUB. "Our
student services specialists, our
faculty and our staff have worked
tirelessly over the past year to
demonstrate the quality and value
of the educational experience at
MSU Billings. Their commitment to
our students is commendable."
Sexton also credited the students
and their families for recognizing
the overall value of higher education
at MSUB. As a comprehensive
regional university in an urban
setting, students get opportunities
here that add value to their
academic studies. For example,
internships in the retail, health
care and financial hub of Montana
offer real-world experiences not
available elsewhere.
While the overall university
headcount enrollment is up about
7 percent from a year ago, the
largest increase has taken place in
the COT. The headcount enrollment
is up about 25 percent (1,406
compared to 1,127 in fall 2008) and
the number of part-time students
at the COT is up 31 percent and the
number of full-time students is up
about 20 percent.
John Cech, dean at the
COT, said the increased enrollment
shows that the word is spreading
about the value of two-year
degrees and transfer possibilities
to four-year programs.
"Since spring of 2002, the
COT has witnessed a 260-percent
growth in student enrollment. This
could not have happened without
the incredible work of the faculty
and staff of the college" he said.
"I am especially appreciative of
the outstanding work done by the
student services staff at both the
COT and the main MSUB campus."
Cech added that the COT's
growth would not have been
possible without the support of the
Billings community.
"The college has 16
program advisory committees and
a National Advisory Board. These
dedicated business and industry
leaders have given of their time,
talent and money in many ways to
support the advancement of the
college" he said.
Dr. Stacy Klippenstein is
the vice chancellor of student
affairs at MSUB and responsible
for planning and implementation
of recruitment/retention activities.
He said a university-wide effort
began last academic year with a
goal to eclipse 5,000 students.
Called "Team 5K" the
university began an internal
program that provided faculty
and staff the opportunity to be
involved in recruiting and retention
initiatives — even account for small,
individualized efforts that would
actually lead to the enrollment of a
student.
"Many staff and faculty
participated in a plethora of events
– all aimed at student enrollment
and student success" he said.
Those customer service-oriented
efforts (advising,
providing information, walking a
student through the application
process, etc.), cross-training
activities to better serve students
and development of a website to
track enrollment numbers helped
create atmosphere that embraced
enrollment growth, he said.
"A lot of people worked
diligently to make this happen" he
said.
Other MSUB enrollment
information:
• Of the total number of students
this fall, 58.1 percent are under
the age of 24. The largest
percentage of students is
between 18-21 years old.
• The average age of the
undergraduates at the main
campus is 24.8 and at the COT
it is 26.2.
• The majority of students
continue to be women.
• The number of American Indian
students on the main campus is
up nearly 18 percent from last
yeor and up 15 percent at the
COT
• The number of Hispanic
students at MSU Billings from a
year ago is up nearly 9 percent
on the main campus and up 45
percent at the COT
• There are a record 290 student-athletes
at MSU Billings taking
part in one of the 16 various
athletic programs.
• Enrollment eclipsed 1,000
students in 1958; broke the
2,000-student mark in 1964;
exceeded 3,000 students in
1967; and moved above 4,000
in 1981.
Started in 1927 as a normal
school, MSUB has become a
comprehensive regional urban
university with more than 160
academic programs in areas of
Arts and Sciences, Allied Health
Professions, Business, Education,
Technology as well as professional
development and workforce
training through the College of
Professional Studies and Lifelong
Learning. In addition, students can
choose from more than 200 classes
offered in 16 online programs.
To find out more about
MSU Billings academic offerings, go
to www.msubillings.edu or call the
Office of New Student Services at
657-2888.
5
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NEWS & CAMPUS LIFE
Raising our Spirits: Tales and Tour of the
Haunted Museum
Celebrate your Halloween at
the most unique and spooky event
in Montana! Experience the rare
opportunity to tour the legendary
Western Heritage Center building
where you will join two ghost
hunting teams and investigate
areas where paranormal activity
has been recorded, utilizing the
latest ghost hunting equipment
and testing techniques.
Your expanded experience
will include:
• Examples of video and audio
evidence collected from the
WHC and other haunted
locations in Billings.
• Tales of the thrills and chills
encountered by expert ghost
hunters as they discuss different
theories about ghosts and what
types of phenomena to look for.
• You are invited to bring your
own camera and recording
equipment for this ghostly
investigation.
• "I Survived the Haunted
Museum!" gift after completing
your hunt!
• Wear a Halloween costume
to be entered into a raffle for
prizes!
• Cocktail Reception following
the ghost hunt.
• Don't miss your chance—tickets
are required and attendance is
limited.
The tales and tour of the
haunted museum are Friday,
October 30 and Saturday, October
31 from 7:30 to 10:30 pm. Tickets
are $50 each
The Western Heritage
Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. Your contribution is
tax-deductible.
For more information:
visit the Western Heritage Center
website at www.ywhc.org, or
contact Lisa Olmsted at 256-6809
or lisa@ywhc.org .
Get REAL
In conjunction with National
Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week
2009, Choose Responsibility has
launched Get REAL, an initiative
for student body presidents at
college and university campuses
nationwide that encourages
responsibility, education, and
leadership on alcohol issues.
Student body leaders
possess the skills and real-world
experience necessary to ensure
that the debate about binge
drinking, the legal drinking age,
and campus alcohol policies is
allowed to continue unimpeded on
their campuses. Over the course
of the coming months, Get REAL
signatories will work together to
foster productive discussions about
alcohol that emphasize peer-to-peer
accountability and explore all
possible alternatives that will make
their campuses safer.
"I'm tired of the toxic
drinking environment sometimes
seen on college campuses
throughout the country" said Brody
Leven, President of the Associated
Students of Westminster College
in Salt Lake City, Utah. "I think it's
pretty unrealistic to say that the
current laws are solving all drinking
problems. I signed on with Get
REAL to promote campus safety
and intellectual discourse, knowing
that college campuses are the
perfect venue."
The culture of toxic binge
drinking is a serious public health
issue, and the Get REAL campaign
offers students the opportunity to
educate each other, promote safe
behavior, and shape the direction of
alcohol policies on their campuses.
Recent statistics from the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism reveal that the problem
of toxic drinking is getting worse on
campuses across the nation: rates
of binge drinking and unintentional
alcohol-related deaths among the
18-24 college population increased
between 1998 and 2005. Another
recent study from researchers
at the University of Minnesota
identified 18 heavy-drinking
schools and tracked survey results
of alcohol-related problems on
those campuses in 1993 and 2005,
with little or no improvement over
that 12-year period.
"These grim statistics
indicate that binge drinking is as
serious an alcohol-related problem
today as drunk driving was two
decades ago, and it is time for a
serious solution" said Choose
Responsibility President John
McCardell. "Without the guidance
and input of student government
leaders, these trends are unlikely
to improve. The time has come
to treat college students as the
young adults the law says they are,
and the Get REAL campaign will
provide these young adults with
an opportunity to influence the
debate and show leadership on
alcohol issues."
Get REAL signatories will
join a growing chorus of voices
across the country that is calling for
a discussion about toxic drinking
and the drinking age. In August of
2008, 135 college and university
presidents signed the Amethyst
Initiative, a public statement
advocating a debate about
the intended and unintended
consequences of Legal Age 21 on
campuses nationwide. By joining
this movement, these student
body presidents will ensure that
the people directly affected by
changes in campus alcohol policies
will have a chance to impact the
conversation in a meaningful way.
Choose Responsibility is a
nonprofit organization founded
to stimulate informed and
dispassionate public discussion
about the presence of alcohol in
American culture and to consider
policies that will effectively
empower young adults age 18
to 20 to make mature decisions
about the place of alcohol in their
own lives. For more information
and to learn more about the
Get REAL campaign, visit www.
chooseresponsibility.org .
6
A student talks with a representative of PPL Montana at the 2008
TechExpo event. (Photo by MSU Billings News Services)
Those who attend will meet
with representatives of 20 top area
employers including:
Allegiance Benefit Management,
Inc
Alternatives, Inc.
American Medical
Response
Billings Clinic
Billings Health &
Rehabilitation
Bresnan
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ASMSU BillinEs SUB 213
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Student Health Services
NEWS & CANITUS LIFE
Tech jobs on the Rise
Communications
Cherry Creek Radio
ConocoPhillips
EBMS
Interim Healthcare
Lumber Yard Supply
Montana Department of Transportation
Motor Power Equipment
PPL Montana
St John's Lutheran Ministries
To rge rson's
US Army Recruiting
Valley Health Care
Western Mine Service
Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch
The employers registered for the event are
looking to hire interns and to fill full-time positions.
Job-seekers should bring copies of their résumés
and register at the door. Parking is free on the day
of the event in the parking lot east of the Health
Science Building at the College of Technology.
For more information, go to www.
msubillings.edu/careers or call the Office of Career
Services at 657-2168.
Tunics
Continued from page 1
Very much in the look and fashion of 80's hair
metal bands with a touch of screamo thrown in for
spice, End Ever can easily be called head-banger
metal in all its glory. The music was energizing
and invigorating, and the lead singer left the stage
and came out into the crowd.
The table at the entry held a little piggy
bank labeled "Moody's Medical Fund" started
for a member of local band Funk in the Trunk, Gy
Moody. Moody suffered a heart attack on August
6th in one of the local health food stores. As a
veteran he is able to get his medication through
the VA (Veterans Health Administration, part of
the US Department of Veterans Affairs) but as a
small business owner he has no health insurance
and currently owes about $60,000 in medical bills.
His fellow local musicians started this fund to help
reduce some of the stress due to these medical
bills.
By MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES
For The Retort
As the economy begins the
long march toward recovery, area
employers are looking for good ways
to connect with quality employees.
The newest opportunity is the
upcoming TechExpo, to be held
later this month at the Montana
State University Billings College of
Technology.
The event, which links job
and internship opportunities with
students earning two-year degrees
and certificates, is scheduled for
Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 1-4 p.m. in
the new Health Sciences Building
on the MSU Billings College of
Technology campus, 3803 Central
Ave.
It is free and open to the
public as well as college students.
The event is co-hosted by the
2009-10 Career Services Employer
Partners: Cherry Creek Radio,
Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch,
EideBailly, KPMG, St. Vincent
Healthcare, and EBMS.
7
A previous Billings Zombie Walk. (Photos courtesy of Lou Donaldson)
One of the many participants in the appraisal event. (Photo by Lou Donaldson)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
From the Desk of One Baroque College
Student: Day of the Living Dead
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
It's October once again
and that means it's time for raking
leaves, carving jack-o-lanterns and
eating lots of candy. Sadly, though,
for the residents of Montana
October also means it's time for
snow. Yes, snow; that cold white
stuff that makes one groan when
they look out the window in the
morning. One can hope beyond
hope that it will be gone before
Halloween so that our costumes
will not have to be once again worn
over snowsuits.
Hope for a snow-free
Halloween also prevails among
us who will be part of the "Living
Dead" that will invade downtown
for the 3rd annual Billings Zombie
Walk. This year the zombies will
be meeting on the court house
lawn at 4pm on Saturday, October
31st. This event has received a
bit of attention from the Billings
Gazette as well as the Billings Police
Department in the past; a good
Samaritan alerted the police to
two wounded and bloody people
walking down 27th Street on their
way to the festivities.
As an active participant
in the Zombie walk since its
conception it makes me happy to
see the crowd growing every year.
The creations and costumes range
from just plain funny to downright
revolting, and including everything
from Jesus to Michael Jackson in
"Thriller."
While Billings does host
many Halloween events the
options for those with children are
somewhat limited. For example,
there are age restrictions on shows
at the Alberta Bair Theater and
the Yellowstone Art Museum.
Thankfully, for those of us with our
own little spawns the zombie walk
is family-friendly.
For those looking for more
information on the Zombie Walk
please visit http://www.myspace.
com/billingszombiewalk. The
website has images and videos from
past Zombie Walks, the zombie
code of conduct, and instructional
videos on applying zombie makeup.
Roadshow Hits Billings
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
At nine in the morning on
September 26th people started
lining up outside the Yellowstone
Art Museum for the Antiques
Road Show (seen on PBS at 8pm
on Monday nights) style appraisal
event. For ten dollars per piece,
patrons could have their items
appraised by Mr. Thomas Gordon;
the fee also admitted entry into
the museum to see exhibits such
as "Curious Finds." The turnout
far exceeded the museum's
expectations and some people
were permitted to observe the
event but weren't able to have their
piece appraised. The thick walls of
the old jail hindered the internet
service and so the appraiser was
not always able to provide
exact amounts.
People brought in a
wide array of items including
books, paintings, fossils
(the legacy of one woman's
recently deceased husband
who collected and catalogued
them over twenty years), a
Yukato stencil used to hand-stencil
kimonos, part of a
woman's great grandmothers
dowry and even a complete
set (bullet mold and all the
trappings) of dueling pistols
from 19th century Germany
worth five figures. A gift from
native painter Tahona given
to the owner of the Santa Fe
Wigwam Café in 1945 was
Continued on page 9
8
(Above) A small wooden box that was appraised by Thomas Gordon (Below) People lined up outside of YAM for the event
(Photos by Lou Donaldson)
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box and has hand-carved
imagery,
a wooden hinge,
and an inscription
stating that the
box was a present
from Christopher
Knauff to his
brother Bernard
Knauff in 1854.
Even through the
box is not for sale
it is interesting to
know that it could
fetch three to four
thousand dollars.
The piece
de resistance of
this event was
a light from the
Vatican. Brought
in by Tex Janecek,
the lamp is carved
from marble and
>
Continued from page 8
priced between $3500 and $4000.
A woman by the name of
Beth Morrow brought in a piece
that had been in her family since
her mother's great grandmother
> <
had brought over from England.
Mrs. Morrow also had records
documenting the plight of 17-year
old Anna Wise and her friend from
the Isle of Wight who, during a
boat voyage from England in 1773,
were told they would be sold into
slavery to pay their passage. While
her friend jumped overboard, Anna
earned her freedom and went on
to marry. Because the document
was mounted in a shadow box the
appraiser was unable to give a price
range.
I brought in a small wooden
box that a hermit sheep herder
found in a rotted gunny sack on the
prairie south of Chinook and gave to
my grandmother. It is called a tobac is in eight interlocking segments.
When asked how he acquired such
a rare piece Mr. Janecek stated that
as a boy he lived on the shore of Lake
Oconomowoc near a monastery
run by the Sistertion monks. When
the Vatican converted from electric
to gas lighting in 1962, a Father
Pitosy collected about a dozen
or so of the lamps which broke
in transport. Father Pitosy gave
the two remaining lamps to Mr.
Janacek's father. The appraiser
stated that he couldn't put a price
on the lamp and that it's origin
made it priceless.
The Yellowstone Art
Museum hopes to make this
an annual event, extending the
length and possibly bring in other
specialists in addition to the
appraiser. Hopefully this year's
turnout has proven the need for
such improvements.
Now located in the Alterowitz Gym open lam to 2pm and during all Yellowjacket events!
9
Shay Church and Chinese Zodiac Animals are two pieces in the "Curious Finds"
exhbit (Photos by Lou Donaldson)
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A & E
Once in a Lifetime Opportunity
11,
By LOU DONALDSON
Of The Retort Staff
Currently on display at
the Yellowstone Art Museum is a
exhibit that is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to view, entitled
"Curious Finds." Why, you may
ask, is this a once in a lifetime
opportunity? Well, the answer is
simple: unless you want to go to jail
for B and E (breaking and entering)
the chance to see these pieces
up close is slim. "Curious Finds"
features pieces from the private
collections of people in and around
Billings.
One piece featured is a large
ceramic entitled "Shay Church"
made of stoneware. At first look
it appears to be a stand of dead
trees, some of which have been
cut out. Upon closer inspection a
bear's head can clearly be seen as
comprising the base of the piece,
and when walking around the piece
the bear's head and neck as well as
part of the body of a heron can be
seen.
There are a number of
other smaller ceramic pieces,
such as "Gilded Jug" by Charles
James Mason. "Carved Ivory
Ball" is a beautiful example of
the many intricately carved ivory
pieces. Another is "Chinese Zodiac
Animals" which showcases the
twelve aspects of the Chinese
zodiac masterfully carved from a
single piece of ivory. Another item
of interest appealing especially to
history buffs is a photograph of
Curley, the Crow scout that rode
with Custer on June 25th 1876.
Blown glass bottles, a
handmade wooden mask and a
carved wooden shield fill the four
rooms and two halls of the museum
set aside for this exhibition. There
are a myriad of paintings for the eyed
and mind to feast upon including
landscapes and portraits done in
acrylic, oil on canvas and even paint
on silken wall tapestries.
The top piece of thil. 4
exhibition is an Uzbekistan
(relatively small country between
Turkmenistan (country above Iran)
and Kazakhstan) dress. This is a
beautiful piece with such detail and
craftsmanship one wants to touch
it, to pick it up and hold it closer
for a better look. The bright red
dress with black trim and shoulder
fringe has bead work, metal pieces
and shells, and upon first glance -
appears to be a beautiful example
of native work.
This show is definitely
worth the trip to the museum —
who knows if or when the chance
to see these pieces will ever arise
again.
10
OPINION
Clearing up the Confusion
>
By JEN GROSS
Of The Retort Staff
I am alarmed and unsettled
• by the reaction of many of my peers
at the mention of "feminism."
Alarmed and unsettled, but not
shocked. Most people who don't
self-identify as feminists hold
serious misconceptions about
the true meaning of the terms
"feminist" and "feminism." It is
time to clear up the confusion.
At its very foundation,
feminism is the belief that there
ought to be equality between the
sexes. Women and men should be
no more and no less than equal in
opportunity within our societal,
cultural, and political institutions.
Feminism challenges the dominant
cultural and historical view
that men, and their associated
"masculinity" are somehow
superior to women and the concept
of "femininity."
Although patriarchy and
male superiority have existed
throughout history, the common
misconceptions about and disdain
for feminists can be traced back
to the late 1960s. At that time,
women began mobilizing and
organized their complaints of
discrimination, oppression and
exploitation into a prominent
social movement. These women's
actions provoked an intense and
lasting oppositional movement,
known as a backlash.
The dreaded backlash.
It occurs in response to popular
and influential movements, ideas
or actions that not only suggest,
but require, systemic change,
and often a reassessment of
one's own values and actions.
Many social movements elicit
resistance from the mainstream
because it almost always means
that a person or a group of people
will have to give up power and
privilege.
The feminist movement
of the late 1960s and 1970s
threatened men's position of
power in the workforce, in politics,
and in just about every other social
institution save home economics
and child rearing. Sensing this
threat, men who didn't care to
consider women their equals, as
well as women who didn't perceive
their inferior position in society as
problematic, contributed to one of
the most troubling backlashes of
the twentieth century. The effects
of that backlash, also known as
antifeminism, can still be readily
observed forty years later.
Today, an antifeminist
attitude permeates the popular
culture. Women who speak up
against exploitation in the media,
or who promote closing the gender
earnings gap, are too often written
off as wacked-out "radicals" who
would be better off not bucking the
system that so clearly defines and
distinguishes the rolls of women
and men. Meanwhile, images of
women in the media clearly send
the message that women are
objects, and that they should be
happy to be considered so, while
women continue to earn just 77
cents for every dollar that men
earn.
It's disheartening to see
so many misconceptions about
feminism cropping up right here
at MSUB. I have frequently heard
my peers refer to feminists as
"overzealous, man-hating, hairy-legged
dissidents." First of all, I am
inclined to point out that is an ad
hominen argument. Rather than
address the actual issue of gender
discrimination, antifeminists often
resort to cheap name-calling and
defamatory tactics in an attempt
to discredit the virtues of feminist
thought and praxis.
Despite its prevalence,
I have yet to encounter an
antifeminist argument, on campus
or off, that actually dismantles
the premise that women and men
ought to be treated equally within
our societal institutions. Generally,
antifeminist arguments rely on
science or religion to "prove" that
women are, in fact, inferior to men.
For example, women are said to
be biologically inferior to men, and
the Bible is often quoted to justify
subordination. However, similar
arguments were once made by
white people to justify the use of
black people for human slavery. We
can all agree (I hope) that the merit
of those scientific and religious
arguments did not justify slavery,
even though at the time, many
(white) people believed that it did.
The same is true of contemporary
arguments used to justify
discrimination against women.
Often I encounter people
who have so bought into the
dominant patriarchal worldview
that they are delusional to the point
of thinking gender equality is one
of the most preposterous concepts
since affirmative action. "Sexism
doesn't exist, anymore" men
say, as they ogle the dangerously
underweight and scantily clad
female models in their magazines.
"Sexism doesn't exist, anymore"
women say as they despair at the
sight of the impossibly thin and
flawless models in their magazines.
"Why bother with a women's
movement?" they ask. My reply?
If we don't bother, equality, peace
and universal respect are but distant
and unattainable pipedreams.
To me, antifeminism is
chillingly reminiscent of yet another
misconception, which happened
to be a widely-held belief during
the Age of Enlightenment. The
French philosopher Rene Descartes
led many people to believe that
nonhuman animals were in fact
automata, creatures incapable of
feeling physical pain or any form
of emotion. He espoused the
practice of vivisection, whereby
painful experiments, including
the dismemberment of live,
unanesthetized animals, were to be
performed in the name of science.
Believe it or not, sexism
and vivisection arise from the
same conceptual framework that
encourages a dominant group to
use and exploit a group that is
perceived as the inferior "other."
This applies as well to all forms of
oppression and abuse, including
those based on race, class, sexual
orientation, religious affiliation or
any other marginalization. In other
words, all forms of oppression are
See Clearing Up on page 17
Cell Phones, Necessity or Addiction?
By KEN CUNNINGHAM
For The Retort
I'm down with cell phones,
really. They've become almost
a necessity in the 21st century.
There are many reasons for this,
especially for personal security, or
calling for help when you're in an
accident. They take pictures and
movies, surf the internet, and give
you access to the
blogosphere.
But what is up with this
epidemic of cell phone addiction?!
I cannot believe how many times
I've seen someone driving while
using their cell phone. It's bad
enough that almost every student
is on their phone every free minute
they have between classes. It's
even more disturbing how many
students are texting in class. What
could be so important to text
somebody that couldn't wait an
hour or so?
But the real madness
is people texting while driving.
Research has shown that 80 percent
of all automobile accidents, and
65 percent of near accidents, are
caused by distractions. Texting
while driving has a greater impact
on safety than driving drunk! The
stopping distance from 70 mph
increased by four feet while drunk,
reading an e-mail added 36 feet,
and sending a text added 70 feet.
I'll admit that I'm from
another era. I was born in the
fifties. I didn't grow up on personal
computers and cell phones. Texting
to me is insane. How do you press
those tiny little buttons over and
over again? What does a smiley
face mean anyway? I don't even
know how to speak in "textese."
But I'm willing to learn something
new. I am currently suffering from
cognitive dissonance in this area.
The disequilibrium is making my
head spin.
So, if you would like to help
me out and set me straight on how
and why using a cell phone and
texting is so important, why don't
you stop me in the hall, or in the
library, or in the dining hall, or
wherever, and TALK TO ME...FACE
TO FACE. Maybe then I will begin
to understand. If you need to get
a hold of me before we meet in
person, I'm in the phone book.
You know, that heavy yellow
book you find at your front door
every few months. And if I don't
answer, please leave a message.
Thank you, and have a nice day.
11
THANKSGIVING HOL
CLASSES
NOVF
Intervarsity 2 pm
Core Meeting (Madison)
ASMSUB Meeting
5pm Missouri
College Age Movement at Off
the Leaf 7:30pm
REGISTRATION FOR 2010
SPRING SEMESTER BEGINS
ASMSUB Meeting
5 pm Missouri
College Age Movement at Off
the Leaf 7:30pm
SAB Lecture
Judson Laipply
Evolution of Dance
Petro Theatre 7 pm Blood Drive
Ballroom 9 am— 4 pm
College Age Movement
PetroTheatre 7:30pm
PRIDE Movie Night
Lewis & Clark
7:00pm
ASMSUB Meeting
5 pm Missouri
College Age Movement at Off
the Leaf 7:30pm
ALL Gentle Thanksgiving
Vegan Food Giveaway
8am-2pm
LA Building
LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS
WITH APPROVAL OF ADVISOR
AND COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Intervarsity
4 pm
Hybrid (Beartooth)
Volleyball 7 pm
Volleyball 7 pm
LAST DAY TO APPLY TO
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CEREMONY)
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please send the name of the
event, the date time and
place and one contact phone
number to msubretort@
gmail.com THE DEADLINE FOR
THE DECEMBER CALENDAR IS
NOVEMBER 10th AT 5PM
OPINION
A Sad Reality By NICOLE MASS
For The Retort
The following is a true
representation of a very real
phenomenon: imagine a cage full
of puppies. Their snouts have been
seared off with a hot iron without so
much as a single drop of painkillers,
and they are so cramped in their
feces-encrusted cage that they are
unable to turn around or stand up
in. The wire mesh of the cage rubs
and digs into their paws, causing
deformity and great pain. Neurotic
with terror and frustration, they
attempt to bite each other and
themselves, but without teeth they
are unable to damage the valuable
flesh of their cellmates.
Their captors kick and punch
them, often to death. For fun, a
group of workers twist a puppy's
head until she is decapitated. They
laugh. One puppy is found with a
missing leg, a worker having pulled
her through the bars of the cage
even though her foot was caught.
Many of the puppies suffer
from infection, open wounds,
blindness due to the ammonia
wafting from the urine-soaked
concrete, arthritis, cuts, scrapes,
bruising and illness. They are
forcibly impregnated and often
starved for up to fourteen days
to speed up the birthing process.
Their offspring are immediately
taken from them.
After about seventy weeks,
the survivors will be shipped many
miles away in the blistering heat or
freezing cold to a slaughterhouse.
They will be hung upside down,
their throats will be slit and then,
often still conscious, dunked into
a scalding tank to remove their
fur. They will then be chopped,
processed, packaged into neat little
Glad-wrapped cartons and shipped
to grocery stores where blissfully
ignorant consumers will purchase
their rotting remains, choosing
never to associate these remains
with anything that was once alive
and as acutely able to feel pain and
grief and terror as any of us.
Pretty gruesome, right?
I imagine many of you are
stunned and angry and hopefully
wondering what you can do to
put a stop to what you have just
read. The answer is to stop buyi ► e,
chickens and their eggs. The above
description is that of the life of
a typical laying hen. Please ask
yourself why you would feel horror
and outrage at the thought of a dc_,
enduring such cruelty but would
turn your eyes away and refuse to
consider or acknowledge the same
treatment when committed against
a hen or other non-human animiik
that via torture on a factory farm .'"
ends up as dinner on our plates.
Please visit www.meetyourmeat.
corn for further information.
Vegan Burgers Hugely Popular at History
Club Fundraiser
By JEN GROSS
Of The Retort Staff
Meatless burgers were
received with open taste buds at
the recent "Brats, Burgers & Beer"
fundraiser for the MSUB History
Club. The Boca brand vegan burgers
sold out long before volunteers
shut their barbeque lids to call it
a night at the Yellowstone Valley
Brewing Company.
The History Club's grill team
came supplied with a 15-pak of Boca
burgers from Costco, but it proved
insufficient to meet the demand
of the previously untapped vegan
(pronounced vee-GUN) market.
"Quite a few people came up and
asked for a vegan burger even after
they were sold out" said Karen
Ortegal, a sociology student and a
member of the History Club who
volunteered at the event.
Jonnie Eggeland was lucky
enough to snag one of the hot
commodities before they were
gone. A sophomore in the art
program, Eggeland said, "I told my
vegan friend I'd try one. But I've
had veggie burgers before and
think they're good."
For various reasons, people
may choose not to consume animal
products. Vegans exclude all animal
products from their diet. Vegan
food is plant-based and contains no
dairy, meat, or egg products.
Dr. Keith Edgerton, who
grilled up the tasty vegan burgers,
was not surprised that the plant-based
burgers were so popular.
"I know more and more folks are
moving toward diversity in their
diets" he said. "It's nice to have
something different for folks."
Dr. Edgerton teaches history
is a professor in the History
Department.
"Brats, Burgers, and Beers"
is a popular fundraising event that
the History Club started aboui
four years ago. Although this was
the first time they offered a vegan
option, it won't be the last. Dr.
Edgerton said they will continue
to offer vegan burgers "as long a
there is a market, for sure." The
proceeds help students travel to the
annual Phi Alpha Theta Northwest
Regional Student Conference every
spring
Another Step in the Right Direction
By JASON RODRIGUEZ
For The Retort
Environmental
Sustainability: meeting the needs of
the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to
meet their needs.
For folks who frequent the
Liberal Arts and Library Building,
you've no doubt noticed the
blue recycling bins setup by the
Associated Students of Montana
State University Billings (ASMSUB)
last year. This is the latest attempt
to realize a recycling program on
our campus - but this year the
ASMSUB can guarantee it will be
the last.
Under student body
President Rob Barnosky
and in conjunction with the
Environmental Awareness Club,
the ASMSUB created the Student
Initiated Recycling Program (SIRP).
Additionally, they established a
position within student government
for a Sustainability Coordinator to
oversee the program, and expand
sustainability initiatives that are
important to students. I had the
privilege of being the Sustainability
Coordinator over the summer, and
will continue in that position this
semester.
Due to the prohibitive costs
of purchasing the blue recycling
containers, the SIRP originally
intended to incrementally cover the
campus over the span of five years.
While that plan was reasonable,
I am often too impatient to be
reasoned with. My goal was to have
campus-wide recycling in place by
the start of this semester, but that
proved a little more difficult than
anticipated. Fortunately, with bit
of luck and a substantial donation
by the local Coca-Cola Bottling
Company we are on the downhill
stretch of realizing a campus wide
recycling program.
When I first met Doug
Becker, the sales center manager at
the Billings branch of the Coca-Cola
Co., I knew immediately we had an
ally in our efforts. Besides being
receptive to the idea of recycling,
he was happy to help us realize our
goal. "Not only does this program
give the [Coca-Cola] company
a chance to help the [MSUB]
campus" he said "but it's the right
thing to do."
The solution to the bulk of
our container problem came in the
form of reused syrup containers,
which Coke ships to its bottlers
across the country. The containers
are sturdy and voluminous, perfect
for our needs. A little ingenuity and
teamwork on the part of Coca-Cola
and student senators of ASMSUB,
and presto: recycling containers!
The program is on its way
and you'll see more recycling
stations popping up arounH
campus this semester. What is
helpful to take away from this
effort is that students can make a
difference on this campus - if you
get involved! While the cost of this
program is funded by student fees,
the administration has given us the
green light to move forward and
supports our efforts. With partners
like Coca-Cola and Earth First Aid
(the company contracted to pick
our recyclables) the MSUB campus
has taken another step in the right
direction.
I'd like to personally thank:
Doug Becker, Jeff Edwards, an-the
crew at Coca-Cola; Chancellor
See Step on page 17
14
OPINION
Candr6 wRO
Our resident sexpert Candi La Fleur is here to answer all your
questions about sex, love, and romance. If you'd like to write Candi
with your questions please submit them to msubretort@gmail.com .
All letters will be printed annonymously. Due to the large volume
of mail she recieves, Candi can not respond to individual emails.
Hey Candi, I'm thinking about getting into internet dating. Do you think it's a good idea? Is there anything I should
watch out for?
> Well I think as long as you're comfortable with it then its fine. There are a few things to consider. Most internet dating sites charge a fee ranging
anywhere from ten to thirty dollars a month. On some sites you may be limited to what you can say and post about yourself so you will have to have
your profile reviewed before it's posted. Also because you may not be meeting your potential mate for quite some time, you need to be patient. Most
people think internet dating is a fast track and takes out the usual effort and patience required with more traditional relationships. It isn't. Getting to
know someone, in any context, is a process that takes time and shouldn't be rushed. Finally, if you do find that special someone and decided to meet face
to face make sure you meet in a public, well lit environment for at least the first date, and probably for the first three or four. Also NEVER go home with
someone you met on a first face to face date. The important thing with being safe in this or any dating situation is to not let the novelty and excitement
of apotential relationship cloud your better judgment. As always, should your relationship become physical, make sure you wrap it before you tap it.
I've been seeing a prostitute for several months now and I've started to have feelings for him. I want to tell him, but I'm
worried about rejection. What should I do?
The truth is we all get lonely sometimes and it's very natural to seek someone out who can help us manage those feelings. In your case you've turned to a
professional sex worker and although I can't advocate illegal behavior, on a personal level I think what you are doing and the feelings you are having are very
normal. The problem is that most prostitutes are extremely cautious about entering into romantic relationships. If they do end up in a relationship, monogamy
can be a bit of an issue. Have you considered what would happen if this man had feelings for you but wanted to keep hustling? For whatever reasons, good
or bad, prostitutes usually see sex as a business and tend to detach emotion from it. My advice to you is to weigh the potential gains against the losses here.
Telling him how you feel may be a relief for you in that you finally get to express your emotion, but that doesn't mean it will yield the results you are looking for.
Hey Candi, I've been telling my friend that she should report a rape she suffered over the summer, but she said that
because she had an orgasm it couldn't have been rape. Is there anything that you can do to help convince her?
First off, your friend is lucky to have someone like you in her life. The courts and legal systems in our country do not recognize physical arousal,
or climax as justification for sex. Around 30% of people have orgasms during a rape because of the way our human minds proces physical
sensation and arousal. If you friend won't report the rape make sure you let her know that the police and courts are obligated under the law
to protect her should she feel her safety and security would be compromised by reporting this crime. Also let her know that she would be
helping to (hopefully) convict a man who might do this to someone else, or in all likelihood already has. Offering to go with her can often make
it easier as well. Since she is the one who will have to press charges, unless she agrees to do it there isn't much the police can do. You need to
\_ give her encouragement and support, and reassure her as much as possible that you're there for her and that this is not her fault in any way.
Neither Candi La Fleur nor The Retort advocate dangerous or illegal behavior. It is the responsibility of the individual to be aware of local, state and federal
laws regarding their behavior. Candi La Fleur believes her advice to be helpful and useful but holds no certifications or degrees. This advice should not be used
in place of or as a substitue for qualified psychological or medical advice, nor should you ignore the directives or advice of a qualified professional based on
the information in this column. Persons with emotional and/or sexual disfunctions are urged to seek the help of a qualified professional as soon as possible.
15
OPINION
Scraping the Barrel: The Final Death oi
Optimistic Nonsense
By MIKE SCHRAGE
Of The Retort Staff
Note from Mike, or
NFM: What do you get when
you accidentally submit a half-completed
article? The correct
answer is last issue's offering of
soggy crap. For those of you who
had to absorb 800 words that read
like a sappy and self-indulgent
Gilmore Girls plot line, you noticed
that my intended "parody of real
life" displayed a complete lack of
any jokes or reputable sarcasm
whatsoever. Although the final
draft (which is still on my desktop)
was funnier than being kicked in
the face by a rabid mule.
To say I am embarrassed
that piece of garbage inexplicably
made print is a vast, vast
understatement... to be completely
honest, the fact that that article
had my name on it made me more
uncomfortable than a vegan who
just experienced having a corn dog
forcibly lodged in her windpipe. My
bad.
Secondly, for the first time
ever, I am offering an apology for
a retrospectively cruel and totally
unneeded comment I made. I have
long operated from the plateau
of joking about anything and
everything and anyone who has
know me for more than twenty
minutes knows that nobody has
more fun at my expense than
yours truly. Even as Nebraska's first
fourth-grade card-carrying nihilist, I
knew I had little respect for those
who picked on others with little
provocation, and as someone
layered with various character and
physical flaws (See: Mike's comically
sporadic patches of body hair), I
am the last person to poke fun at
anybody's personal appearance,
especially when I failed to frame it
in a context that wouldn't seem as
an attack the average person.
That is not how I have
ever done business, and to
those I offended or made
uncomfortable, please
accept my apologies. Now,
if I haven't totally lost you,
avert your eyes southward
as I try to rebuild my shanty
of dignity and integrity one
poorly-crafted word at a
time. Now quickly, Hand
me the righteous spackle of
redemption!
I have what I like to
call my secret Archangel of
Optimism; somebody who
has the ability to ninja up
from behind me for the explicit
purpose of trying to cheer me up,
and despite the fact that she knows
that I hate this, still continues to
try. Like somewhere deep within
the recesses of my battered and
bitter soul lies an orb of joy, waiting
to spring forth in a happy rainbow
of orange sherbet-flavored viscera
from my pasty chest and pollinate
the world in a veritable rainbow of
kittens, balloons, and a rejuvenating
dose of zippity-doo-da. I hate to
disappoint you my dear, but that
is simply not true. Sure, she grates
upon my bah-humbug sensibilities
and less-than buoyant outlook, but
I have no excuse to as why I continue
to schedule social activates in
public with her, aside from the fact
I obviously enjoy marinating in my
own self-loathing. Also, my two
primary default emotions happen
to be anger and apathy, and most
people cannot get past that.
I don't always smile, or more
accurately I don't make a conscious
effort not to. I just fail to see the
good in being always chipper
and cheery, light as a feather and
sailing on the breezes of misguided
giddiness like a cartoon frog in a
Disney movie. Remember Charles
Schulz's iconic 'Peanuts 'comic
strip? Go read it as an adult when
you're having a crappy day, and
tell me it isn't the most depressing
thing on the planet. Charlie Brown
was freaking miserable. His friends
were dicks, he was ostracized by his
classmates, his unrequited desire
for the little red-headed made him
miserable, he was a terrible athlete,
and you know for a fact that for all
his forced ironclad optimism, he
ended up alone and unloved, with
a serious drinking problem smoking
unfiltered reservation cigarettes
living in an apartment above a used
furniture store. I challenge you to
be happy after reading that last
paragraph. Mike 1, Optimists 0.
To avoid mentioning that
the childhoods of yours truly and
good ol' Chuck Brown didn't share
disturbing similarities would be
doing a great disservice to the
message I am trying to drive home
with such subjective force. I too,
was a social pariah who didn't
even rate high enough to play D&D
with the Audio/Visual club, and I
distinctly remember one encounter
with a childhood bully. "If you don't
mind", I squeaked. "Could you avoid
hitting me in the face because we
are having family pictures taken
this evening." Well, it turned out
the bully did in fact mind at least
several times, and let me just say
a family portrait loses a great deal
of nostalgic luster when your fat lip
is immortalized for all eternity (or
at least until your parents messy
divorce when all family photos
were destroyed). Also, take into
account that I was generally socially
awkward and uncoordinated led
to me not having a date for prom,
and then you tell me how I could
have possibly emerged from the
minefield of childhood twirling a
shiny baton as I lead the optimist
parade. I don't blame my parents,
though. Of their four children, three
turned out to be successful, well
adjusted and popular, placing their
success rate at about 75%, which
translates into a pretty respectable
and average score. Yes, my parents
got a 'C' in parenting, and if that's
good enough to graduate college, I
suppose it's good enough to spawn.
Smartly done, parental figures!
For a sociologyclass recently,
I had to list my personal references,
perhaps to determine the value of
my inner circle to society, because
as the old adage goes, "A person
is judged by the company he
keeps...in bed" (Assume I got this
assignment from a fortune cookie).
But let's talk for a moment, if
you will, about my inner circle of
friends; namely those close to me
and those who have incriminating
photographic evidence that could
very well doom my chances of me
ever being elected to public office.
I am not somebody who promotes
an aura of infectious optimism, so
understandably my social circle
does not have what one could call
a "broad circumference". Inside
these narrow confines of old
friends and confidants stands a
veritable rouge's gallery of misfits,
mongoloids, alcoholics, arrogant
intellectuals and single parents
who refuse to hug their children.
After several stiff drinks, I have just
now officially determined that
social circle is for utter shit.
Some people call me a
grouch, but I disagree. If I am
anything, I'm a realist. Sometimes
situations just flat out suck, and
there is nothing that can be done
about that. I hate when people
try to cheer me up; if I wanted
to hop, skip, and laugh I would
ingest any form of mood altering
Altoid-sized medication by re
handful and everything would be
peachy. In fact, I think that anyo-ne
who automatically proposes
an omnipotent silver lining or a
divine will in any crappy situation
is someone weak in inner strength.
I for one am not from Thailand,
Burma, or Arkansonian trailer
parks, but I imagine it is difficult to
find the silver lining in tsunamis,
genocide, or tornados...or
in Arkansas. But at least Sylvester
Stallone is there to lecture us about
the human condition by lopping
off some Asian dude's head with
a homemade machete. Thank
Rambo! (NFM: You'd have to have
seen the latest Rambo to get that
joke. Is it too much to ask that you
meet me halfway?) Now somebody
get me a Zoloft and a chicken burrito
because I just now remembered
Katrina turning the ninth ward into
beachfront property a few years
back.
To close out this article, (and
I had to wait until the end, else
exhaust my allotted column space
in rapid fashion) I have highlighted
a list of things that darken my
outlook: Flat-brimmed ball caps,
any mug that holds more than for`
ounces of fluid, churches asking
me for money, forwarded emails,
karaoke, mechanical pencils, pro-life
fanatics, pay-per-view hotel
porn, crappy bands who make good_;
music, people who drink coffee
through straws, corsages, AAA
batteries, "Reverend" Fred Phelps
and his congregation of hate-mongers,
Texas, my cousin and her
brood of ill-behaved brats, Napsti.,-,
cancer, the number two, anyone
under the age of 68 with a "Family
Circus" cartoon stuck to their
refrigerator with a dumb novelty
magnet, motocross, the mulle'
guys who celebrate the entire
Abercrombie and Fitch catalog on a
Continued on page 17
16
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-
OPINION
Clearing
Up
Continued from page 11
are linked, and the forces underlying
sexism are the same forces that
- mote racism, and, as I will argue
in future columns, is the underlying
cause of anthropocentric
environmental decay.
Totally radical, you say?
Well, that depends on your
Understanding of the term "radical."
The word "radical" has popularly
been co-opted and re-crafted to
describe someone or something
that is not only unconventional,
bu-I. is inherently dangerous
and irrational. In actuality, and
according to one of my favorite
reference tools, www.dictionary.
reference.com , "radical" is defined
3s-"of or going to the root or
origin; fundamental." So feminism
is radical in that it challenges the
Fundamental attitudes and beliefs
laf a societal structure that accords
greater value to men than to
women.
I don't blame anyone for
their misinformed perceptions of
feminism. I understand that we live
in a society that has systematically
normalized discrimination,
oppression, and exploitation since
its inception. It's hard to step
away from that system in order
to see something that is certainly
present, yet so normal that we
don't even notice it. I think we have
an obligation, though, if we desire
to be ethical subjects, to question
ideologies and practices that
harm others. By harm, I mean that
women are harmed when they are
perceived as not equal to men. I do
not mean that men will be harmed
when gender equality removes
them from the top of the hierarchal
ladder.
I also wish to address the "all
men are created equal" mentality
that persists in this country. It is all
too often touted as one of the most
conscientious and inclusive political
observations to have been made in
U.S. history. I cringe every time I
hear it. "All men are created equal"
is anything but a conscientious and
inclusive moral philosophy. It is, in
fact, a depthless and exclusive way
to advocate social justice for those
who are already at the top of the
hierarchal (patriarchal) order.
I realize that "all men are
created equal" was used in the
Declaration of Independence in
1776, a time when all the influential
thinkers were white male property
owners. Women's rights were
not yet being discussed, at least
not in the mainstream. However,
the feminist in me must quip that
historical significance is no excuse
for the frequent and continued
use of a phrase that excludes at
least 50 percent of the human
population. Even if women were
(are) presumed to be included in
the scope of "all men are created
equal" it is an anthropocentric
assertion that has no regard for
the natural world, and inevitably
leads to more oppression ai ..c; snore
exploitation.
What am I getting at? There
are many reasons indications that
we not be so quick to judge and
condemn feminists (or any other
social activists seeking equality,
for that matter) when we haven't
taken the time to think critically
about the actual issue. Just because
something is popular doesn't mean
it's right, remember? We all learned
that as kids, but it is too often
forgotten as we enter adulthood,
conforming to the roles that
society urges us to fill. We forget to
question the whys of a system that
is too vaguely understood as "the
way it is."
It is time to stop being
manipulated by a system that
counts on our willingness to
believe that gender discrimination
is acceptable. Rather, we must be
critical of the popular preconceived
notions about feminism and its
advocates. We must stop belittling
the courageous women who stand
up to sexual harassment, and
who lobby Congress for insurance
benefits that include maternity
care, and who cut their hair short
and refuse to wear makeup.
We would all do very well
to open our minds, listen, and learn
from the fabulous and insightful
feminists around us. Only then can
we seriously entertain the notion
of a world in which discrimination,
oppression, and exploitation are
replaced by equality, peace and
respect.
EAC Needs Members for Greater Success
iv JOEY KRENZER
=or The Retort
The Environmental
kwareness Club (EAC) has been a
-egistered student organization on
:his campus for many years. While
lever displaying high levels of
nembership, it has accomplished
some very beneficial projects. Most
ioteworthy was its interaction
Nith ASMSUB during the 2008-
2009 academic year to implement
a comprehensive campus recycling
program.
Current membership in the
EAC is languishing due to members
graduating and others discontinuing
membership for various reasons.
The lack of membership has left
the EAC hindered in such a way that
makes it extremely hard to initiate
and carryout further projects that
have the ability to help this campus
become a model for sustainability
in higher education.
Like most students,
academic success is a main priority
of mine, but I also feel that taking
the time and putting forth the
energy to engage with fellow
students on such important issues
as campus sustainability is an
opportunity not to be missed while
in an environment that is extremely
conducive to those activities.
In an effort to increase
the current membership level, a
recruitment meeting is being held
on October 28th from 2-3pm in
the Science Auditorium. Anyone
that is interested in being involved
with the continuing effort to
make this campus a frontrunner
in sustainability is encouraged to
attend.
Scraping the Barrel
:ontinued from page 16
Aqily basis, Pol Pot, bumperstickers,
oller blades, the Euro, sleeveless
:-shirts, parents who blame results
yf their crappy parenting on Grand
rheft Auto, Lee Greenwood and
hat ridiculous freaking novelty
song, algebra, Golden Corral
restaurants, personalized license
plates, parents with pictures of
their children on any article of
clothing, mesh trucker hats, soda
machines that charge more than
.55 for a can of Fresca, the fact that
Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck pride"
phenomena hasn't yet had its final
death rattle, bicentennials, people
who ask if I'm from Wisconsin,
celebrities telling you that it's your
obligation as an American to vote,
Laundromats, MMA apparel, and
the TV show "That's so Raven!"
And on that note, if little Rudy from
the Cosby Show has a problem with
that, I ain't hard to find.*
Step
Continued from page 14
Sexton; Senators Jared Coyle,
Ashley Adams, Grace Norman, and
Tyler Rutledge; and Joe Krenzer,
President of the Environmental
Awareness Club.
Finally, keep your eyes
open later in the semester for the
opportunity to show your support
for the SIRP by sponsoring a
recycling station. And don't forget
to check out our website: www.
msubillings.edu/green.
17
We Want ou. you en oy creative wr tin 111 • * •
CREATIVITY
Nonsense???
By KYLA MOLLETT
Of The Retort Staff
As the turtle drug its rear-less
body across the pavement,
blood drizzling from the opening,
a little girl dressed in sheep skin
skipped by on one wooden peg
leg and long blonde braids. The
turtle was twice the size of this
peculiar little girl, and it shrieked
an obnoxious, flamboyant and gut-wrenching
scream. The girl was
irritated by this so she covered
her whole head, ear to ear, with
one incredibly oversized hand.
She hobbled along, but fell into a
hole only wide enough and deep
enough for her peg leg to get stuck
in.
Then the hole grew fangs
like teeth which punctured her
wooden leg, creating a disastrous
sound along with the bellowing
turtle. The hole then opened its
bottomless pit and swallowed her
body, biting her off at the neck_ The
hole licked its chops, belched, and
then shrank away from existence.
The little girls l-read had been left to
roll around, but thankfully for her,
her pigtails doubled as legs and, as
she was getting used to her new
pair of legs, she wobbled around
wide-mouthed and cackling. When
she finally got the hang of it, she
scampered away into a wall of
water_
Standing nearby was a
cockroach wearing a bow tie, a
bowler cap and tap shoes. He was
puffs rig off of an oversized cigarette,
which he tit with a • pocket-size
campfire he had procured from
the screaming turtle. He watched
curiously as the girl's head
meandered into the vertical ocean
laughing hysterically for some odd
reason. How unusual, he thought
to himself. He took a few drags off
of the smoke, then pOpped it into
his mouth and swallowed it in one
painful gulp. He fell backwards onto
all fours and walked precariously
away.
As the scene changes, the
ocean goes to the sky, the sky to
the left, the left to the right, and
so forth: The trees all nipped onto
their sides and wheezed as they
bent downwards, A few sinappee
and started crying miseera
the others held onto Mei; roc;
for dear life Rke it was tie ittmik
Sudderily, all the water coflaptei
from the sky and the trees were
emerged in hydrogen and oxygen.
They gasped for air but received
no mercy. Naturally, a lumberjack
fish swam by at this exact moment,
and began drooling when he saw
that he was going to be dining like
a king for .a while. He rubbed his
fins together greedily as he slowly
approached his tasty, helpless
friends. He hacked at them with an
oversized plastic butter knife and
giggled like a schoolgirl runniz -,,
from the boys. Devouring the trees,
he grinned, and patted his belly in
approval. He did not realize that
he had eaten so much that it was
going to be impossible to move
for at least a few days. Suddenly
the ocean dried up and he was left
to be someone else's grub for the
night
Waking Dream
By KYLA MOLLETT
Of The Retort Staff
An unidentifiable vehicle
sped down a quiet highway. The
road curved with the geography
of the land; the car drifted around
the corners with ease. The earth
was, for the most part, flat, being
that it was Montana territory. The
occasional rocky structure rolled by
where shrubbery tried to grow and
tumble weeds accumulated. The
sun was bright on the horizon and
illuminated every physical attribute
of this dry, barren country. The
rubber of the tires grabbed the
asphalt and hurled the vehicle
forward toward the setting sun.
There was a middle-aged
man, around his late thirties, in
the passenger seat, and a young
woman behind the wheel, possible
teens, or very young twenties. The
man was in a sickening condition of
filth: his skin sunken in around his
bones, a slight tint of greenish-gray,
with his eyes bulged out behind the
dark circles on his ghostly white
face, clothing torn, dulled with dirt
and grime. He had what seemed
like years of grimy buildup under
his fingernails, and his teeth, what
he had left of them, were slowly
decaying, chipping away, turning
multitudes of unnatural colors,
creating a stench from his mouth
that was something like death. His
features were very rough, and if he
would have been a healthy man,
perhaps stocky. His hair was about
shoulder-length and full of lice and
knots; a dirty blonde color. His face
was covered in craters in which he
had been digging in, and he had
dried streams of blood that had
trickled down his features.
The woman had deep
blackened holes around her
bloodshot eyes, suggesting she
hadn't slept for many months. She
was nude and her chest revealed
large infected gashes in between
her visible rib cage. Her skin was
pulled very tight over every bone;
her body was fragile, her collar
bone protruding out of a thin
layer of ghostly skin. Her face had
a few pockmarks scattered here
and there, and she had scratches
that began at her forehead and
passed over her eyelashes down to
her cheeks until they ended at the
base of her neck. She was missing
a few front teeth, and had bruises
around her mouth, suggesting that
she had been beaten. One of her
eyes was swollen shut, and she had
a large crack down the middle of
her bottom lip, which was dry and
beginning to crust. Her fingernails
were long and jagged, broken, with
chipped blue fingernail polish. Her
stringy, thinning hair was gray with
dirt and sweat; perhaps it was once
light blonde.
The nutrients seemed to
have dissolved from their bodies
long before this trip. They seemed
to be using all of their energy to
breathe and stay awake, so they
stayed silent. The car had no radio,
so the only thing audible was the
wind whistling through the cracks
in the windshield. The sun sank
below the horizon of corn and hay,
and the air immediately began to
chill. The car headlights were very
dim, only bright enough to see a
few feet ahead, yet the woman
seemed to speed up.
Who is this man sitting next
to me? I can smell him rotting. Is
he dead? No, I think I can hear him
breathing. How long has he been
there next to me? I don't remember
picking him up.
"Why are you in my car?"
The man was silent. Can
he hear me? Oh my God, maybe
he is dead. What if I killed him? Is
that why I am driving out into the
country? Am I going to bury this
man? I don't remember doing it.
Why would I kill a man I do not even
know? Now I must run for the rest
of my life in fear! In exile! Oh God,
what if he had a family? Children!
Oh Lord what I have done, please
forgive me I know not what I do! Oh
Lord, please don't be dead. Please.
"Why are you in my car?"
The woman's voice was
shrill. Her chest swelled, and ilea
eyes began to pour with tears.
"Why are you in my car?"
Her voice was now a low,
sobbing whisper, muffled by the
tears. No response. The anxin—/
spilled out onto every inch of her
body, she began to shake.
No this can't be true! He
can't be a dead man! I would never
kill another man, it's not true.
lying to me. I know it. He probably
has a gun and held me up, forcing
his way inside my car. The fucker
probably gave me this black eye!
He is probably going to rape me
when he wakes up and kill me a;fu\
try and bury my lifeless corpse in
this wasteland. What nerve this
man had to fall asleep in my car.
She strapped on her seatbelt.
"Why are you in my car!"__
The woman slammed on
the brakes, and the man's body was
hurled forward. His face cracked on
the dashboard, and in a sudden fit
of panic he had lurched his arcnc-outwards,
resulting in one of his
fists through the cracked windshield
of the car. The vehicle made
something like a three hundred
and sixty degree rotation in the
middle of the highway, startled
young woman, causing her to panic
and try to redirect. She took them
over the edge of the road, ending
their high speed carnival ride act
at the roots of a large oak tree.
headlights flickered, and then died
out.
She came to immediately. It was
so dark, and quiet. Her heartbeat
faltered as panic pulsed throughopt
her body. Her face felt' numb on
the left side, and she could feel a
cold liquid dripping down her neck.
Her head suddenly pulsed, she felt
pressure on her retinas and her
body went cold and stiff.
was a rustling in the tall grass on
the passenger side of the vehicle.
Then the man's face became bright
as day, with a huge grin upon his
bloody and mangled features. S'
awoke screaming, blood trickling
down her chin. There was still a
sharp pain, now slowly moving to
the back of her skull. She opened
her eyes and saw the man's fa(rP
looming above her, howling wer,-r‘
laughter, in her eternal slumber.
18
CREATIVITY
submit y msubretort • gmail.com
I
YOUR WORK
HERE
The Retort needs lots of creative works
from students just like YOU. Writing,
painting, photography, sculpture or
anything else you can think of. Send
all work to msubretort@gmail.com .
Hurry, the next deadline is Novemver
10th at 5pm. Ifyou have any questions
you can call Steven @ 617-990-7209.
19
MSUB Sophmore Stephen Powell demonstrating the full body workout rock climbing
provides. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Powell)
SPORTS
Fitness in the Vertical World By KALAN HORTON
For The Retort
Are you tired of counting
calories, vegetable diets, and jump
squats? In the age of power juicers,
protein shakes, and ten minute
workouts, exercisers are seeking an
alternative means to get fit while
having fun. Some MSU Billings
students are dropping their gym
memberships and taking flight in
the vertical world for a fun way to
get a great workout.
Granite Health and Fitness
personal trainer and avid rock
climber Lindsay Robinson says,
"Rock climbing is one of the best
ways a college student can get fit,
have fun, and connect. It is a full
body workout that challenges not
only the body, but the mind as
well."
For a fitness plan to be
successful, it needs to be done
constantly over a period of time.
Many gym-goers see fitness as a
chore, not a hobby. Climbing offers
exercisers a unique, exhilarating
way to get fit without focusing on
counting reps or moving weights.
Local climbing gym SteepWorld
has been open since 2005 and
has established itself as the only
climbing gym in the Billings area.
Jim Roll, owner and climbing
veteran, teaches the Health and
Human Performance beginning
and advanced rock climbing classes
here at MSUB. Rott says, "Many
students take my rock climbing
classes for elective credits, but
some discover and pursue it as a
lifelong hobby."
SteepWorld offers
recreational climbing for beginning
and advanced climbers. Gym
climbing is a great way to learn
the fundamentals of the sport in
a safe environment. The gym floor
consists of 5 inch foam cushioning
for safety. The gym has space
designated for top rope climbing,
a beginner level of climbing that
applies basic rope skills, and
bouldering, the climbing of shorter
routes, called problems, that uses
no ropes.
"We just want people to get
people excited about climbing. It
doesn't matter what fitness level
you are currently at. Climbing
fulfills the requirements for a good
workout on all levels" says Rott.
So if you are currently choking
down the last drop of your creatine
supplement, or wondering what
happened to your summer six pack,)
climbing is a great way to mix u'r 3
your fall fitness routine.
For more information
about climbing contact SteepWorld
climbing center.
No Cutler, No Shanahan, No Problem By ROB BARNOSKY
Of The Retort Staff
There was a time this year
when I wasn't convinced that
Josh McDaniels would finish the
summer as the head coach of the
Denver Broncos; now they may
never let him leave.
The 33 year-old coach was
replacing a Denver legend in Mike
Shanahan. Shanahan, a two-time
Super Bowl champion, won 138
games for the Denver Broncos in his
14 years as the Broncos head coach.
The announcement that Shanahan
would be replaced was a shock to
fans, but even more of a shock was
with who, and his age. But it wasn't
just the shoes that McDaniels had
to fill that were creating pressure
for him.
About the time he finished
signing his contract McDaniels
was on his way to running off the
franchise quarterback, Jay Cutler.
Cutler had only thrown for 4,500
yards, a franchise record, 24
touchdowns, and had one of the
best seasons for a quarterback in
the history of the Denver Broncos.
On top of this, Cutler was also
selected for the Pro Bowl.
It wouldn't be long before
Denver would be trading Cutler
for Kyle Orton. Orton hadn't just
been any quarterback, but one of
many storied sub par quarterbacks
to play for the Chicago Bears.
In a league dependent on solid
quarterback play to win, the Bears
were upgraded to Super Bowl-bound
and the Broncos sent to the
middle of the AFC west by all logical
predictions.
In his first big move as a
head coach McDaniels had run
off one of the franchise's best
quarterbacks and was finding his
fan support to be eroding. Then, just
when it seemed like things couldn't
get worse for McDaniels and the
Broncos, they found themselves
in conflict with their best offensive
player, Brandon Marshall. It looked
as though Marshall wanted to
follow the Cutler trail out of
Denver. Soon Broncos fans would
be watching him punt balls in
practice, bat balls down, and jog
through drills. Marshall ended up
suspended and expectations for
the upcoming season once again
dropped.
It must have seemed like
the end of the world for Broncos
fans. First their successful coach,
Shanahan, gets fired, then they
lose Cutler and Marshall is
wanting out. The season felt like
a lost cause, but five games in the
Broncos are undefeated. Their fans
have forgotten Cutler and forgiven
Marshall and McDaniels. Against
all odds and expert predictions the
Broncos have somehow emerged
as an elite team.
The Broncos haven't just
done this against scrub teams.
They have won games against the
Cincinnati Bengals (4-1), Cleveland.
Browns (1-4), Oakland
Raiders (1-4), Dallas Cowboys (3-
2), and New England Patriots (3-2).
Not only are McDaniels and the
Broncos winning but they are doing
it with Kyle Orton and most of the
same team that won and lost eight
games last year. Orton, through
five games, has a quarterback
rating higher than Cutler. While
Cutler has a quarterback rating of
89, Orton has a rating of nearly 98.
Additionally, Cutler has thrown five
interceptions and Orton has yet to
throw one. On top of the wins and
Orton's success, McDaniels has
Marshall back, happy and playing
well.
The Broncos, by any
measure, are a much better team
this year. Most experts predicted
a team that won eight with Cutler
to win less with Orton - and for
good reason. There is really no
explanation for the success. Sure,
there have been several key
additions, such as Brian Dawkins
and Correll Buckhalter, but that
doesn't explain this start. This is
a team that inexplicably is playing
better at every position this year\
than they were last year, even
with an apparent downgrade at
quarterback. A defense that got
shredded last year is now shutting
down prolific offensive machineTh
can't explain it with anything other
than Josh McDaniels. This guy has
turned around what appeared to
an inevitable train wreck in Denver
and now fans are praising hirn(1'
the second coming.
The season is far from over
and the Broncos still have a long,
hard schedule. In the upcoming
weeks they will face the Charger/
Ravens, Steelers, Giants, Colts, and
Eagles. These teams were all in
the playoffs last year and by most
measures, much better teams
than the Broncos. I don't know,
and won't predict, how long
Broncos can keep this undefeated
streak going, but I do know that
they have proven a great deal
through five games.
After beating his forn-team,
the Patriots, McDaniels
has a record that Shanahan could
only achieve once in his successful
career. I'm not a fan, in fact, the
Broncos are one of my least favorite
teams, but even I can recognize a
great coach.
20
By MSUB ATHLETICS
For The Retort
Senior Day (Photos by MSUB Athletics)
SPORTS
Both Men's and Women's Soccer Shutout
Rocky Mountain College
Two goals by Kari Foreman
propelled the Montana State
> women's soccer team to
a 4-0 shutout of Rocky Mountain
College Wednesday afternoon at
Wendy's Field on the Rocky campus.
With the win, the Yellowjackets
improved to 8-4-1 overall and
7-regained the Rimrock Cup. The
Battlin' Bears fell to 3-8 on the year.
"I thought we played a
complete game from start to finish,
MSUB head coach Don Trentham
id. "We looked good in the
attack, good in the back and our
corners were spot on today."
The Yellowjackets
dominated the game from start to
iish as MSUB outshot Rocky 20-7
and 13-4 in shots on goal. MSUB
tied a season-high with 10 corner
kicks and scored two goals off of
them.
Foreman led the way with
o goals and tallied her fourth
game-winner of the year tying the
school record for game-winners in
a season with Ally Stroup (2005 and
2006) and Margot-Merrill-Johnson
_s 301). She had four shots and
three on goal. Freshman Jaucelyn
Richter tallied two assists on the
day and senior Chelsea Libby added
one assist. Richter led the team
Afjth five shots and four on goal.
The Yellowjackets got on
the board as Foreman beat former
Yellowjacket goalkeeper, Brittany
Knudtzon, as Knudtzon attempted
to make a play on the ball and
oreman moved past her for an
easy shot on the open net for a 1-0
lead.
Freshman Jennifer Larsen
tallied her eighth score of the year
she received a nice corner kick
from Libby and headed it in from
the top of the 18 for a 2-0 lead at
the 20:55 mark. Less than three
minutes later, Foreman tallied her
second goal of the game as she
received a pass from Richter on the
right side of the post for the goal
and a 3-0 lead.
Five minutes into the
second half, freshman Andrea
Baytaluke scored on a floater off a
short corner kick from the left side
of the 18 for a commanding 4-0
lead.
MSUB goalkeeper, Jordan
Fenwick, tallied four saves in
her second shutout of the year.
Knudtzon had nine saves and four
goals against in a losing effort. Rocky
was led by two shots on goal from
Kirsty Montignani. MSUB had 19
players play in the game with nine
different players recording shots.
The Yellowjackets' other shutout
this season was a 4-0 neutral site
win over Minnesota-Crookston
Sept. 13, at the University of Mary.
With the win, MSUB
improved to 10-7-1 all-time versus
Rocky and 6-5-1 in the Rimrock
Cup. The Yellowjackets avenged
a 3-2 overtime loss to Rocky last
season at Yellowjacket Field in the
Seventh Annual Rimrock Cup.
"We were disappointed we
lost last year and without a doubt,
the players wanted to get the cup
back to MSUB today" Trentham
said.
The Yellowjackets return
home to battle Carroll College Friday
at 4 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field.
MSUB then returns to conference
action next week at Seattle Pacific
and at Western Washington in a
pair of key conference matchups.
A second half hat trick by
senior Sam Charles propelled the
Montana State Billings men's soccer
team to a 4-0 victory over Rocky
Mountain College on Senior Day at
Yellowjacket Field. With the win
the Yellowjackets improved to 10-
3-2 on the year, marking the third
consecutive season that MSUB
has reached double-digit victories,
which is a school record.
"We were excellent in the
second half today" head coach Dan
McNally said. "Rocky worked hard
defensively and, until we got our
first goal, it was a good local rival-ry."
It was the first regular sea-son
meeting with Rocky in school
history as RMC added men's soccer
as an intercollegiate sport this year.
Prior to the game, six se-niors
who are playing in their final
season were honored. Zach Yeager,
Sander Tollefson, Jarred Weisen,
Jeremy DeHerrera, Tom Milroy and
Charles will leave MSUB as the win-ningest
class in school history and
are 33-15-3 in the last three years
and are 38-26-5 over their careers
with a minimum of three games
left this season.
"I am really proud of my
seniors" McNally added. "They
mean so much to the program and
to me. It was great to see their par-ents
at the game, but unfortunately
Sam's parents weren't able to make
the trip from England. He wanted
to dedicate his three goals to his
parents for making it possible for
him to attend college in America."
Charles' hat trick is his first
since Sept. 8, 2008, in a 3-1 win
over the University of Mary. He
now has four for his career in the
GNAC to lead the school and con-ference
record books. Charles
scored the first goal of the game on
a penalty kick as he was fouled in
the box in the 55th minute. It was
Charles' third made penalty kick of
the season and he now is 15 for his
career. In addition, it was Charles'
seventh game winner of the year
and 22nd of his career.
Less than three minutes lat-er,
Charles put the Yellowjackets up
2-0 on a beautiful pass and shoot
as he hooked up with Chris Andre
for the score. It was Andre's team-leading
eighth assist of the season.
Rocky didn't have a shot in
the first half but had a real good
scoring opportunity in the second
as it scored a goal, but prior to the
goal Rocky was called offside to
nullify the score.
Charles scored his third goal
in the 87th minute on assists from
James Henry and Weisen. With
just over a minute left, Weisen tal-lied
his fourth score of the year as
he took a DeHerrera pass and beat
two defenders for the score at the
88:53 mark. It was DeHerrera's
eighth assist of the year tying him
with Andre for the team lead.
MSUB dominated the game
in all facets. MSUB outshot the
Bears 16-1 and 10-0 in shots on
goal. The Yellowjackets had a sea-son-
high 12 corner kicks on the day.
Charles led the team with six shots
and four on goal and the three
scores as he tied his own school re-cord
for 19 goals in a season.
Tollefson recorded his sec-ond
consecutive shutout and im-proved
to 3-0 on the year. He tal-lied
the shutout in a 3-0 win at
Northwest Nazarene Tuesday. Sat-urday
was the Yellowjackets' sixth
shutout of the year.
The Yellowjackets conclude
the home portion of the schedule
next week at they return to Great
Northwest Athletic Conference ac-tion
Thursday, at 12:30 p.m. versus
Saint Martin's and Saturday ver-sus
Western Washington at 3 p.m.
both at Yellowjacket Field. The Yel-lowjackets
are in the thick of the
conference championship race as
it looks like it will come down to
the wire. MSUB then concludes the
regular season Nov. 4 at Rocky in a
makeup game from Oct. 11.
21
SPORTS
Yellowjackets Defeat Cross Town Rival
control until midway through the
set. Trailing 18-17, the Yellowjackets
got a spark from Crotteau who
recorded back-to-back spikes and
then received a gift from the Bears
with an attacking error by Jessica
Overstreet. At 22-20, MSUB closed
the door on the set with kills by
Crotteau, Hannah Johnson and
Boe.
Rocky tied the match with
Currently, Lutz is fourth
in the conference in blocks per
set with 0.99 but is third in total
blocks with 89. She also ranks sixth
in hitting percentage with a .266
average and 115 kills.
For the team, Lutz is first in
blocks with her average and total
and ranks fourth in kills per set with
1.28. She also ranks third in service
aces with 0.21 per set and 19 on
the season.
The Yellowjackets return
home this week for a match-up
with second place Seattle Pacific on
Thursday at Alterowitz Gymnasium,
starting at 7 p.m. MSUB handed
SPU its first loss of the conference
season back on Oct. 21, in a five-set
thriller, 3-2.
Player of the Week
By MSUB ATH TICS
By MSUB ATHLETICS
Of The Retort Staff
In front of the largest crowd
this season, Montana State Billings
used a steady attack and balanced
scoring to defeat its cross town rival,
Rocky Mountain College, 3-1 (25-
20, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21) Tuesday
night at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
"Looking at the last match
between us, we were steadier this
time, emotionally and physically"
head coach Steve Smith said. "We
were able to keep our composure
throughout the match, even though
they kept coming at us. We beat
a really a talented team tonight
and I'm just really happy with the
overall result."
Devon Crotteau set the
pace for the Yellowjackets, using 16
kills and 13 digs for another double-double.
Jen Boe also recorded the
double with 14 kills and 14 digs,
while libero, Jill Trabing, recorded
a match-high 18 digs. Hillary
Morrison ended the night with 43
assists and 11 digs and Melissa
Porter had six blocks.
The first set got off to an
ugly start as neither team took
For The Retort Staff
Montana State Billings
freshman middle blocker, Jody
Lutz, was named Great Northwest
Athletic Conference Player of
the Week, the conference office
announced Monday. It is her first
weekly conference honor of the
season and third for the volleyball
program this season.
The Dugald, Manitoba,
Canada native recorded 13 kills
and 10 blocks, nearly doubling
her season set average in both
categories, helping lead the
Yellowjackets to consecutive 3-0
sweeps on the road at Saint Martin's
and Western Oregon. Lutz had five
blocks in both matches as MSUB
controlled the net, out blocking its
opponents, 21-11.
a service ace from Morgan Moss.
Leading 2-1 in the matel --;
the Rocky fans tried to get behind
their team, but the Yellowjacket
faithful were there to match the
enthusi4sm. As the fourth set
got under way, MSUB once agair-jumped
'out to a 9-4 lead after a
kill from Johnson. Rocky would tie
the match at 11-11 but was unable
to take the lead in the set. Hitting
just• 488 for the set, MSUB was
able to hold Rocky to a .020 hitting
percentage and closed out the
match on a Boe kill and an attacking
error by Marni Magnuson.
Rocky (15-7) was led by
Jillian Stanek's 10 kills, while AshIc4 -
Welborn finished the match with a
team-high 17 digs and seven kills.
Kristin Barott led the team with 33
assists. As a team, the Battlin' Bears
hit .103 for the match with 45 kill
71 digs and 14 blocks.
MSUB (11-8, 4-3 GNAC) hit
.175 as a team and finished the
match with 55 kills, 80 digs, six
service aces and 11 blocks.
a victory in the second set, 'but
after the break MSUB regained
its composure and started off the
set leading 6-3. Rocky kept the
set close but with the score at 17-
17, an attacking error from Sara
Brunner gave the Yellowjackets the
momentum. Kills by Jody Lutz and
Porter spread the lead to three,
21-18. The set ended with a pair of
kills from Porter and Boe as well as
VikingsSweep Yel-lowjackets,
By MSUB ATHLETICS
For The Retort Staff
Western Washington's
attack was superb but its defense
was better, hitting .314 and coming
up with 49 digs and six blocks,
sweeping Montana State Billings
(25-22, 25-20, 25-18) Saturday
evening at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
The Yellowjackets were
led by Devon Crotteau who
„accumulated 15 kills and nine digs
with a .306 hitting percentage,
while Jen Boe had 10 kills as did
Melissa Porter, who also hit .333 for
the match. Jill Trabing had a match-high
15 digs as Hillary Morrison
accounted for 37 of the 38 assists.
The Vikings came out and
set the tone early, extending the
lead by as much as seven at 17-10.
The Yellowjackets tried to mount a
comeback, reeling off six-straight
points to close the lead to one
with kills from Boe and Porter and
numerous hitting errors by the
Vikings. MSUB found itself tied
at 21 with Western before Bailey
Jones recorded one of her 10 kills
on the night to give the Vikings the
lead for good.
After being tied at 12-12,
Western used a small four point run
to take the lead and finished off the
set with a kill from Emily Jepsen.
The Vikings hit .296 in the set while
holding MSUB to .111 hitting.
The third set was all
Western, building an eight point
lead early on and managing to keei.,
MSUB at arm's length distance to
take the set and the match. Western
hit .385 in the set, recording 18 kills
against three errors.
The win moved the Viking
to 14-7 on the year and 7-3 in
the Great Northwest Athletic
Conference. It was the third-straight
win for the Vikings and keeps them
in the hunt for the league title.
They were led by Jepsen's 14
and five digs. Also contributing
was Marlayna Geary with 11 kills
and seven digs, while Allison Gotz
collected 14 digs as Laurie Yearout
recorded 39 assists.
MSUB fell to 11-10 on the
season and 4-5 in the conference.
As a team, the Yellowjackets hit
.174 with 40 kills and recorded 47
digs and two blocks. -\
Next up, the Yellowjackets
will travel to Lacey, Washington
for a match-up with Saint Martin's
on Thursday, Oct. 22, starting at 7
p.m. They continue the road trip z
two days later, Oct. 24, taking on
Western Oregon, in Monmouth, at
7 p.m.
22
1
SPORTS
Cross Country Braves Freezing Weather,
Turns in Top Times of Season
By MSUB ATHLETICS
Of The Retort Staff
The weather was cold by
the competition heated up at
e Yellowjacket Invitational held
at Riverfront Park on Saturday
morning. The Montana State
Billings cross country team got
some of its top times from this
eason despite the freezing cold
weather and turned in great team
finishes as well.
The MSUB women received
seven personal best performances
end all seven scoring runners
finished the 3.1 mile course in less
than 20 minutes. Lisa Minnehan
once again led the Yellowjackets,
finishing fourth overall in a time
of 18:50, 48 seconds behind the
yvinner, Wendy O'Lexey, from Black
Hills State.
"The women once again
made a lot of progress this week"
said head coach Dave Coppock.
time of 19:59.
The women's race was
won by O'lexey in a time of 18:02,
finishing just behind her ww as Amber
Watson of Rocky Mountain College
with an 18:08. O'lexey's teammate,
Erin Curran, finished just ahead of
Minnehan in third with a time of
18:33, while Leigh Anne Whiteside
of BHSU rounded out the top-five
with a 19:08.
With its five top runners
finishing in the top-15, MSUB
captured second in the team race,
recording 47 points, just 13 points
behind Black Hills State (34). The
X"sii4 University of Great Falls finished
third (98) in the team standings,
followed by Carroll College (99),
Dickinson State (113), Rocky
Mountain College (130), South
Dakota Tech (180) and Flathead
Valley (240).
On the men's side, MSUB
finished fourth in the team
standings with 118 points. Daniel
Lombardi led the Yellowjackets
with 14th place finish and a time of
26:38. He was joined in the top-20
by Mark Bolt who completed the
frozen course in a time of 26:49.
"We had a great
performance from our men once
again and saw a few personal bests
from them as well" Coppock said.
"After running on a couple of tough
courses, I think the men were ready
to run some fast times on a flatter
course. If they run like this at the
conference meet, they could sneak
in a really great finish."
Tyson Vanderby was the
third Yellowjacket to cross the
line, recording a time of 27:11 for
a 29th place finish overall. He was
followed by Taylor Canfield (27:11),
Travis Hutchinson (27:41), Travis
Buttelman (27:58) and Tucker
Shuler (28:54).
In a very exciting men's
race, Mark Mazza of Black Hills
State edged teammate Birch
Haraden for the victory. Mazza
crossed the line in a time of 25:27
with Haraden finishing in 25:29. Jed
Morgan of BHSU was third (25:33),
while Cullen Cantwell of Great Falls
finished fourth (25:34) and Sammy
Chavez of Dickinson rounded out
the top-five with a 25:58.
Black Hills took the team
title in the men's race as well,
finishing with 27 points, ahead of
Great Falls (71), Dickinson St. (96),
MSUB, South Dakota Tech (120),
Rocky (133), Carroll (146) and
Flathead Valley (245).
The morning began with an
open 5K for the public. The race
saw close to 100 participants turn
out for the 9 a.m. start.
The Yellowjacket
Invitational was the final tune-up
meet for MSUB before the highly
competitive Great Northwest
Athletic Conference meet on
Saturday, Oct. 24, hosted by Central
Washington. That meet will be run
in Yakima, Washington starting at
10 a.m.
"We're still setting up nicely for the
conference meet in a few weeks.
We've ran for six consecutive
weekends, so having the off
week next weekend should help
us heading into that race. I was
extremely happy with the way the
girls ran; to get seven personal bests
in this weather was extraordinary.
I think we're peaking at the right
time and we may be able to sneak
up on a couple of teams."
Joining Minnehan in the
top-10 were teammates Mary
Owen and Leah Thompson. Owen
finished ninth with a 19:19 and
Thompson was right behind her
in tenth with a 19:20. Following
closely were Mykel Ler (19:32)
and Sarah Jackson (19:43) who
recorded top-15 finishes, while
Katie Thiel took 18th with a 19:55
and Kristen Yeley finished 20th in a
Two Montana Basketball Standouts Com-mit
to Yellowjacket Men's Basketball
By MSUB ATHLETICS
Of The Retort Staff
Montana State Billings head
men's basketball coach, George
eifer, announced Tuesday that
Tyler Tabbert and Jason Tanascu
have committed to play for the
Yellowjackets this season, brining
the 2009 class to a total of seven.
Tabbert, a former Billings
vVest High School standout, returns Ihome after playing the past two
seasons at Miles Community
College where he played baseball.
He is a 6-4 guard who was a
vo-time letterwinner for West
!- averaging 14 points per game and
six rebounds per game. He helped
lead West to the state title in 2007,
which was its first state title since
1981. Tabbert earned all-state
accolades that season.
"Tyler had numerous
opportunities to play either
baseball or basketball coming out
of West High School" Pfeifer said.
"We are very excited to have him
in our program. He is a big guard
who was very well coached in high
school. I believe he is really focused
and committed to basketball and
we really like his upside and what
he can bring to the program."
Tanascu, a 6-1 guard from
Gardner, Mont., was a three-time
all-conference selection and an
all-state selection in high school
averaging 15 points, 7.3 assists
and 5.8 rebounds per game. He
played a key role in the Bruins'
state runner-up championship run
in 2006. He also was named to the
Montana Class C all-state team.
He is transferring to MSUB
from Carroll College and will have
two years of eligibility for the
Yellowjackets. At Carroll, he helped
lead the Saints to a 20-7 record this
past season. As a redshirt freshman
in 2007-2008, he had a knack for
putting the ball in the basket as he
shot 61 percent from the field and
66 percent from beyond the arc in
18 games.
"We learned that Jason
was available from Coach Pat
Hansen at Laurel High School, who
coached Jason until his junior year
at Gardiner" Pfeifer said. "Coach
Hansen was passionate when
talking about the energy and effort
he played with on top of his skill
level. The benefit for us and Jason
is he is a combo guard and can play
both the off guard and point guard
positions. We see Jason primarily
as the off guard, but the fact he has
had worn the hat of point guard
maximizes his ability on the court."
Tabbert and Tanasu join
Joel Barndt of Billings Central High
School, Tyrone Williams of Miles
Community College, DeAndre
Chambers of Western Oklahoma
State, Lasha Parghalava from the
University of Hawaii and Andrew
Hickman of Woodward, Okla.
23
SPORTS
Yellowjackets Silence Wolves, 3-0
By MSUB ATHLETICS
For The Retort
Montana State University
Billings controlled the match from
start to finish, sweeping Western
Oregon University (25-22, 25-23,
25-20), on its way to moving to
6-5 in conference play and 13-
10 overall on Saturday evening,
October 24, at the New PE Building
on the campus of Western Oregon
University.
"We had a pretty good
performance overall tonight"
said head coach Steve Smith. "We
played a lot better on offense and
defense throughout the night but
I think the key was that we made
fewer mistakes than Western
Oregon did."
The Yellowjackets received
double-double efforts from Jen
Boe and Devon Crotteau to lead the
team. Boe had a team-high hitting
percentage of .433 after 14 kills
in 30 attempts with just one error
and a team-high in digs with 22.
Crotteau led the team with 16 kills
and had 13 digs, while Jill Trabing
came up with 20 digs and Jody Lutz
had a match-high five blocks.
Montana State University
Billings fell behind early in the
first set as the Wolves got out to a
4-2 lead. The Yellowjackets pulled
even in the match with a Hannah
Johnson kill, 4-4. The score went
back and forth throughout most of
the set as neither team was able
to take control. Western Oregon
University tied the match at 19-19
with a kill from Laura Sakala, but
Montana State University Billings
was able to close out the set on a
trio of kills from Crotteau, one from
Melissa Porter and a service ace
from Jill Trabing.
Leading 1-0, Montana State
Billings looked to take control of
the match in set two, but the set
was much like the first, back and
forth throughout. At 18-18, MSUB
received a timely kill from Boe that
gave the Yellowjackets the lead for
good. The Yellowjackets were able
to take control of the match with
by shutting out the second set with
a kill from Morrison and Johnson
as well as getting help from the
Wolves with an attacking error.
Montana State University
Billings trailed 4-3 to start the third,
but after tying the match at 4-4,
MSUB would not trail the rest of
the set and opened up a 15-9 lead
behind clutch defense and accurate
hitting. Western Oregon University
tried to mount a comeback late in
the set, but again the Yellowjacket
offense put the clamps down and
closed out the set and match with
kills Lutz and Crotteau.
The Wolves were led by
Sakala with 11 kills and a .476
hitting average, while Danielle
English came up with 21 digs and
Amy Herron collected 30 assists. As
a team, Western Oregon University
hit .171 and collected 63 digs and
recorded four blocks. They fall to
7-15 on the season and 4-7 in the
conference.
The win gives Montan'"a,
State University Billings its first
win in Monmouth in school history
and is now 2-6 all-time against
the Wolves. The Yellowjackets
hit .238 as a team, recording 7:
digs and collecting seven blocks in
total. MSUB is now on a two game
winning streak and have six-straight
set wins.
The Yellowjacket spikers
return to the court Thursday,
October 29, at home against Seattle
Pacific University starting at 7 pm.
Montana State University Billings
won the first match-up with the
Falcons in five sets and will look for,
the season sweep.
MSU Billings Student Challenges
Beartooth Monolith
By Kalan Horton
For The Retort
"It's like running a marathon
with a bag over your head" said
Political Science major Alan Lamb
when asked about the physical
difficulty of scaling Montana's
highest peak.
A combination of Sherpa
strength, cardiovascular endurance,
dry socks, and protein bars were all
factors contributing to the success
of Kalan's climb last July to scale
the peak. "Most people don't know
difficult it is to move at altitude
above 12,000 feet" said Lamb.
At over 12,800 feet, Granite
Peak has shared a fair amount of
rescues, deaths, and successful
summits over its climbing history.
Lying in the heart of the Beartooth
Wilderness, getting to base camp
involves a 13 mile hike over 5,000
feet of elevation gain. Granite Peak
is arguably the second hardest
highpoint to climb in the United
States, just behind Mount McKinley
in Alaska.
This high altitude adventure
starts just outside of Fishtail,
Montana, in West Rosebud Canyon.
The popular day hike to Mystic Lake
is the standard starting point for
the climb. A 3 mile, 3000 foot hike
up the finely named "Switchbacks
from Hell" will leave you with the
final task of navigating the 4 mile
Frozen to Death Plateau, one of
Montana's highest plateaus, before
you are greeted by mountain
goats in the luxurious rock shelters
scattered around base camp.
With the easy part
accomplished, all that is left is
a 10-hour summit day climb
beginning in often below zero
temperatures at roughly 5:00
a.m. that leads you crossing a
snow bridge, navigating car size
boulders, and climbing vertical
cliffs with exposure that would
make any graduate admissions
test seem like a walk in the park. A
successful team will be left with a
feeling of accomplishment, severe
dehydration, and a view to die for,
almost.
You may be wondering why
anyone in their right mind would
want to attempt this climb, only
then to turn around and repeat the
trip in reverse. So why did Alan,
a seemingly normal, sane MSUB
student gear up for this alpine
adventure? Alan responded, "I
wanted to see if it was as hard as
people say it is. And trust me, it
was."
SteepWorld owner and
Granite Peak climber Jim Rott
says, "This should not be your
first mountain because only a high
degree of skill from an experienced
climbing team can only assure a
safe trip." Rott suggests beginning
climbing in a gym, where you can
be assured a safe environment
before taking your skills outside.
When asked if he would
ever go back, Lamb responded, "I
don't think so. It takes a certain
breed." Lamb suggests that anyone
interested in mountaineering
should first take rock climbing
classes to learn about ropes and
anchors.
Anyone interested in
climbingshould contactSteepWorld
climbing gym for more information
24